Why are all you racists insisting on English (the Northern European language)for this communication anyway? Until someone types a message in Esperanto, Spanish or Hmong, I am going to think a little less of all of you and mostly myself.
IF I may recommend a book, Paul Kivel's Uprooting Racism is a good read. It helped me to be less racist. Am I completely free of racist thought? Nope. But if I can change my mind to any degree, it is that much better.
So, thanks Jessica,! I just got Kivels book out and am going to do a little refresher.
CAB
> Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 12:46:14 -0800
> From:
jessica_mcp@yahoo.com> To:
thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time
>
> Also, can I point out that there is a big difference between characterizing a statement or action as racist, and calling a person a racist? I think it's really important to be able to talk frankly about racism, and that is hard when bringing up the word at all is automatically interpreted as calling people racists. We all do or say racist things sometimes. It doesn't mean we're evil, horrible people. It means there's a situation when people could benefit from honest discussion and an opportunity to learn from others' perspectives. So can we try to be open to that without being offensive/taking offense? And make an extra effort to be clear when this loaded word does get put out there?
>
> Race, gender, and class all definitely fit into this issue of accessibility, so it's great we're talking about it those terms. And it's complicated; we can probably all learn something from other peoples' experience.
>
> -Jessica
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Erik Ryberg <ryberg@seanet.com>
> To: The Think Tank <thethinktank@bikecollectives.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2008 2:29:22 PM
> Subject: Re: [TheThinkTank] Volunteering time
>
>
> When
> I
> went
> to
> college
> I
> was
> a
> poor
> white
> kid
> from
> rural
> Oregon
> on
> a
> scholarship
> to
> a
> fancy
> East
> Coast
> private
> university.
> Everybody
> I
> met
> there
> had
> more
> money
> than
> I
> did.
>
> During
> the
> summers
> they
> all
> went
> off
> to
> unpaid
> internships
> in
> NY
> or
> LA.
>
>
> I
> had
> similar
> offers,
> but
> there
> was
> just
> no
> way
> I
> could
> afford
> to
> do
> that,
> move
> to
> NYC
> for
> three
> months
> with
> no
> pay.
>
> When
> my
> friends
> graduated
> they
> got
> jobs
> at
> these
> places
> and
> I
> ended
> up
> working
> at
> a
> bakery.
>
> That's
> what
> Kyle
> was
> talking
> about.
> And
> as
> an
> aside
> he
> made
> the
> leap,
> perhaps
> disputed
> by
> some
> here,
> that
> people
> who
> are
> not
> white
> are
> more
> often
> among
> those
> who
> don't
> have
> a
> lot
> of
> money.
>
> Maybe
> you
> don't
> agree,
> but
> all
> he
> was
> saying
> is
> that
> if
> you
> pay
> people,
> then
> you
> will
> be
> more
> likely
> to
> find
> class
> and
> probably
> race
> diversity
> on
> your
> staffs.
> True?
> False?
> Maybe?
> I
> don't
> know,
> but
> it
> makes
> logical
> sense,
> and
> it
> seems
> possible
> to
> agree
> with
> him
> or
> disagree
> with
> him
> without
> being
> a
> racist.
>
> Erik
> Ryberg
>
> ien
> wrote:
> >
> I
> see
> Kyle's
> point
> as
> tunnel
> vision.
> Look
> at
> other
> areas
> reliant
> on
> >
> volunteers
> and
> you
> will
> see
> many
> females,
> in
> some
> cases
> overwhelmingly.
> >
> Case
> in
> point:
> the
> local
> chapter
> of
> the
> Big
> Brothers/Big
> Sisters
> >
> organization
> reported
> their
> volunteers
> by
> gender
> composition
> is
> 75%
> >
> female,
> 25%
> male.
> That
> should
> shoot
> the
> theory
> of
> white
> boys
> being
> >
> privileged
> and
> in
> positions
> to
> volunteer.
> It
> is
> the
> bike
> business
> in
> >
> general
> that
> attracts
> males
> to
> the
> sport.
> Don't
> believe
> me
> then
> take
> a
> >
> look
> at
> the
> staff
> at
> any
> bike
> shop
> for
> your
> random
> sample.
> Females
> are
> a
> >
> breath
> of
> fresh
> air
> to
> the
> sport
> of
> cycling
> and
> bike
> riding
> in
> general.
> >
> But
> look
> also
> to
> the
> junior
> ranks
> of
> any
> state
> cycling
> organization
> and
> >
> you
> will
> find
> many
> more
> males
> than
> females.
> Credit
> to
> those
> that
> >
> volunteer
> and
> here
> is
> wishing
> more
> would
> join
> us,
> especially
> females.
> >
> bikedad
> >
> >
> */Andy
> Dyson
> <andy@neighborhoodbikeworks.org>/*
> wrote:
> >
> >
>
>
> BovineOaks@aol.com
> wrote:
> >
>
>
> >
> Being
> white
> gives
> us
> privileges
> that
> might
> make
> it
> easier
> to
> >
>
>
> 'donate'
> a
> >
>
>
> >
> lot
> of
> time
> to
> a
> project
> you
> love.
> Nice
> racist
> statement.
> >
>
>
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Some
> great
> points
> in
> your
> post,
> Christopher,
> but
> it's
> the
> first
> line
> I
> >
>
>
> have
> a
> problem
> with.
> I
> think
> that
> if
> you're
> going
> to
> call
> someone
> a
> >
>
>
> racist
> you
> should
> do
> so
> in
> a
> more
> direct
> and
> clear
> way,
> for
> all
> of
> our
> >
>
>
> benefit.
> >
> >
>
>
> Perhaps
> I'm
> just
> not
> smart,
> but
> sarcasm
> like
> the
> above
> leaves
> me
> >
>
>
> wondering
> exactly
> what
> about
> Kyle's
> post
> you
> thought
> was
> racist
> and
> >
>
>
> why.
> >
>
>
> There
> are
> various
> interpretations
> I
> could
> think
> of,
> but
> why
> people
> in
> >
>
>
> our
> community
> are
> calling
> each
> other
> racists
> is
> not
> an
> area
> where
> I
> >
>
>
> want
> >
>
>
> to
> jump
> to
> any
> conclusions.
> I
> do
> actually
> want
> to
> know
> what
> you
> think,
> >
>
>
> because
> I
> don't
> think
> that
> Kyle
> was
> denying
> that
> people
> of
> all
> >
>
>
> backgrounds
> volunteer,
> rather
> that
> privilege
> exists
> and
> it
> makes
> things
> >
>
>
> easier
> for
> young,
> white
> males.
> >
> >
>
>
> I
> think
> that
> the
> whole
> point
> of
> Kyle's
> post
> is
> to
> draw
> attention
> to
> the
> >
>
>
> existence
> of
> privilege,
> something
> that,
> in
> my
> experience,
> is
> not
> >
>
>
> obvious
> >
>
>
> to
> all
> of
> us.
> >
> >
>
>
> Peace,
> >
> >
>
>
> Andy
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> >
>
>
> Andrew
> C.
> Dyson
> >
>
>
> Executive
> Director
> Neighborhood
> Bike
> Works
> >
>
>
> Increasing
> opportunities
> for
> youth
> through
> bicycling
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Check
> our
> Web
> Site:
> >
>
>
> http://www.neighborhoodbikeworks.org
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Neighborhood
> Bike
> Works
> >
>
>
> 3916
> Locust
> Walk,
> >
>
>
> Philadelphia,
> PA
> 19104
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> Office:
> (215)
> 386-0316
> >
>
>
> Cell:
> (215)
> 873-6695
> >
>
>
> FAX:
> (215)
> 386-7288
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> >
>
>
> Thethinktank
> mailing
> list
> >
>
>
> Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
> >
>
>
> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
> >
> >
> >
> Never
> miss
> a
> thing.
> Make
> Yahoo
> your
> homepage.
> >
> <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=51438/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs>
> >
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
> >
> Thethinktank
> mailing
> list
> >
> Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org
> >
> http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.org
>
> --
> Erik
> B.
> Ryberg
> Attorney
> at
> Law
> 445
> West
> Simpson
> Street
> Tucson,
> AZ
> 85701
> (520)
> 622-3333
> _______________________________________________
> Thethinktank
> mailing
> list
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>
>
>
>
>
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