Read other letters about this article

• Tuesday, September 9, 2008 07:12 AM

  This Article IS Salon: Salon is Enlightened Racism, Enlightened Sexism

  A common mistake made by readers here is that this type of attitude is an aberration in the Left. It is not: for the last fifty years, left-wing activists have "clung to" a comforting image of themselves as sexually and socially oppressed. The big bad is white women, dumb, evil, predatory things that they are -- always have been. This is merely Tuesday's articulation of the theme.

  This is why, among other things, they can paint a woman as a sexual predator while believing that every real sexual predator is misunderstood, innocent, the victim of racism, or just a good poet. This is why they go to the ends of the earth seeking instances when women -- particularly white women -- commit acts of violence. Then it's five hundred images and stories and Susan Sontag whinging on about the transformationalism of imagery of horror. Never mind that such instances are statistically rare, that women are almost exclusively on the receiving end of predation, which they actively deny and deflect and conceal. They are fostering a sickness here, not practicing a politics. They can't stop thinking and talking about the sexual implications of this election -- and they cannot believe that the rest of us are not thinking about it, that the world long ago moved on, and it is their problem, not reality, they're projecting onto us.

  But they believe it's a politics, and that is the problem. The problem is that they are racist and sexist, and they know it, but they also believe that their own racism and sexism is justified. Enlightened racism, enlightened sexism if you will. Unlike others, they don't consistently, if imperfectly, try to oppose racism and sexism: they selectively celebrate it. They believe they're engaging in racism and sexism in the name of justice, so they excuse themselves from the standards they are simultaneously trying to enforce in others. That's why it's perfectly routine to see an article in Salon where "white people" is used as a pejorative or "trailer trash" or "bitch" gleefully roll off the page in an article decrying "prejudice."

  You need to think very carefully about what you are accepting when you accept this behavior. This article IS Salon.

  —Tina Trent Read Tina Trent's other letters
  Permalink
  Flag
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel