I have been wondering why there seems to be a persistent misunderstanding
between Nicole and myself about certain issues. It occurs to me that it may
be, in part at least, because of a different assumption about motivations.
So I want to ask her: do you assume that when a white person, at any period
of history, in any circumstances, does something to a black person which the
black person finds unacceptable, that that action is racist?
I do not make that assumption, any more than I do when a man does something
unacceptable to a woman. It may or may not be sexist. In certain
circumstances and at ceratin periods it is very likely to be/have been
sexist, but in itself the action is not proof of any particular
motivation----or so I assume.
Is this a helpful line of inquiry?
Susan
