May 11, 2007

Let the Ass kicking commence!

Well, actually, I feel a little beaten and bruised already.

Damn, I try. I got accused of being a troll today. It ain't the first time, it won't be the last. I love going over to the Unapologetic Mexican. Like me, this guy is fired up about what he believes in. He is en fuego about the Mexican immigrant issue as I am about the Corporate destruction of America. I think that both issues have a symbiotic relationship in many senses. I am more focused on the issues that affect me, as a poor lower/working class citizen of America. Just like he is more focused on the issues that affect him, as a Mexican. I try not to go too far into the psychology of an issue, because I have found that you get bogged down in the tangents. I try to keep on the simpler side of things, although I am capable of comprehending the intricasies. My poor writing ability of course, holds me back, more often than not.

I got hooked up with a lot of new female bloggers via the whole HPV thing a while back. I am a parent, but as a guy, a lot of my opinions got immediately discounted. I am not a female, it's true. So, of course, I can't put myself in the position of one. But I don't think it means that I am less of a parent, although I have been told my many mothers that it does because I don't have the link to my children because of the womb and what-not. Well, nope, I don't have that whole womb-link (like their mom did- the mother that left her womb-linked 3 month old daughter and 18 month old daughter with daddy and disappeared for over a year). But I like to think my love and the attention I show for my kids is equal to ANY parent out there, female or male.

In the case of Nez, I ain't Mexican either. I made the mistake of trying to put myself on equal ground by showing our common ties via the American Indian blood both in myself and those of Mexican descent. It's a little trick I use- hey we have this in common, let's have a civil discourse. But merely by mentioning it I put him off, plus, he dissected my poor ability in racial fractions. ("largely half-indian", yeah, I really should edit my comments and posts, but I think it adds a somewhat rural flavor, but I digress)

So my point, (finally!) is this- Is it okay, since I am a member of the "master" race, (even if only by an unknown racial percentage) and a lowly male, as well- should I defer to all issues concerning women to the women, and defer all the issues concerning blacks- to the blacks, and all mexican issues to the mexicans? I do to somewhat extent already, but is my opinion really completely as invalid as some of these people make me feel it is?

The point of Nez's really well-written The True Front of Progressivism post was that white bloggers ain't writing about Immigrant issues. A lot of Feminists are griping as well, that we aren't writing enough about their issues, and so on and so on. But when we do, we aren't meeting their specifications. We aren't tackling them the way they would tackle them.

Therein lies the trap for white males who dare have an opinion on female-related or mexican-related isssues. And when I use 'Related' I mean that these issues affect me too. If it was purely a woman's issue- Like Abortion-I don't fucking touch it. Hill Country Gal taught me that one (well, plus my own experiences). I don't think I have anything to bring to the abortion debate concerning a woman's choice. I have my own opinion, but I think as far as THEIR bodies go, they can own that conversation.

But guess what? I have a special insight as well. As a man, I have insight there too, that may be - I don't know- useful in framing a debate that you are trying to use - with - MEN. And the same thing concerning my Whiteness, partial or not. When POC discount a white man's opinion, when offered in a honest way- that doesn't help anything. I know, the knee jerk reaction is Fuck the White man! All they have done is fuck over people and ramrod their own bullshit down peoples throats. Okay= no argument there. If your goal is a race riot, fucking have at it. But if you'd like to change things, peacefully and practically- you may want to build some empathy with ole Whitey here. Hell knows, I am trying.

But I got all that white guilt too, so I left off Nez's place yesterday feeling kind of shitty. So, thursdays the kids go to their mother's house (who has now been found :) ) and I went to my neighbor, Eden's house, popped open a beer and helped him sand the gas tank of a harley he was painting. We don't mince words, so I just asked him right out :


"You think I'm a racist?"
He uttered a long stream of mexican cusswords. "You? Who the fuck tol' you that, man"
"Some really smart Mexican activist on the internet"
"Shit. You're a wedo, you can't help that, man. But you're mescan too. We ALL know that."
The other guys in the shop all nodded, gave me sober (uh-somewhat) assessments of acknowledgement.
"Fuck that Mexican. He don't know shit. You're the second favorite white boy in the hood!"
Everyone toasted. Salut! And no more was said about that particular subject. We had a harley to paint, after all.

I'll have to take this Unapologetic Mexican's opinion over the other one. After all, he's my friend. And where I come from, friendship trumps race anyday.

(and just so you know, I'll never make the Number one white boy in the hood. He's dead. And he was real popular)...

6 comments:

Pam said...

I don't read those other blogs so I can't comment on what was said/not said. BUT as a parent of daughters (or SONS) you have EVERY right to have an opinion about ANYthing that affects them. It shows you love them and care about their well being. You don't need a womb for that.

Anonymous said...

One of the best posts I have ever read! I disagree only that you have poor writing skills.

I don't understand all the parameters of this, how exactly it has happened, this division among components of our population and that our battles have separate and exclusionary. I do know accomplishing it has been a masterstroke in causing chaos that keeps 'the people' divided.

Until rights of equality are secured for all, my rights are not secure.

Anonymous said...

*our battles are...

Faded said...

Mirth - Exactly.

Anonymous said...

hey, i dont want you to feel shitty. i appreciate that you engage the conversation, and i know i can be tuff about the things i feel strongly about. but to me its a bit upsetting to see someone claim indian blood and then forget how the "indians" were and are treated by the government whose laws you hold to so dearly. that's all.

keep being yourself, man. keep the mind open, and i will too.

PS. it was NOT about poor writing skills. it was about poor reasoning methods (logical fallacies, as i said). you're a good writer! and i didn't banish ya or anything. i gave you some advice that i think applies to all blogs. stick around a while, feel out the ground rules, then come in laying down long arguments against the basic precepts of the blog itself, if you feel you must do that.

Faded said...

Good advice, Nez! Well, I get in a lot of shit because of my mouth, but it usually ends up all good in the end, because, my intent comes through in the end, even though I talk (and type) faster than i think!

Believe me, I don't disparage my Indian/Native roots, any more than I do my Irish roots. But I think In order to move forward, I can't hold a bunch of chips on my shoulder about the conquerors, whether it is the English fucks who colonized Eire or the Various white fucks who colonized America. I know the truth. That's enough for me. I don't need revenge, but I know enough about my government, good AND bad, to keep an eye on those bastards and try to prevent them from Fucking up Immigrants (as in the Mexico issue) or muslims in Iraq. Not that progressives are doing a very good job at this point in stopping our government...