straight, rich, white, male

Hi Maggie,

I know we are brainwashed.  Everything in our western culture is defined by straight, white, rich, male.  We automatically understand and accept this truth.  We are affected in the areas we are not like the ideal.  And because everything that is good is defined as straight, white, rich, male - when we are not, we are "bad.'''

I was friends with another AVP facilitator, a black man who was a little older than me. We got close enough that he was able to call me on my racism.  It was uncomfortable, but he was right.  There are certain expectations I have and certain behaviors I exhibit simply because I am tall, white and blue-eyed.

I remember talking about Nazi history in college, just a random discussion with a friend. He stopped and pointed out that we were Aryan - the ideal. I recoiled.  Then I acknowledged that he was right...

I watched a video recently. A white guy was filming women on the street. He was creepy. One of the women turned her camera on him and gave him a taste of his own medicine.  He was irate and indignant.  Obviously, he has the right to objectify women, and women have no rights- we can't complain, because white, rich, straight, male is always in the right.

It reminded me of a few other videos I watched of women simply walking the streets wearing a camera.  They were collecting the number and type of comments men made to them. None were wearing anything especially explicit - not that it should matter.  Because as one woman, marching with her breasts exposed said - Still not asking for it.

One tidbit I read recently was that many companies were favoring hiring women, so that they didn't have to pay a fair wage...

Went Christmas shopping with my youngest and her daughter today. Feeling very stressed. The toddler was not thrilled and engaged, and there were too many people...the only magic moment was taking the little one to the mall Santa. She was so wide-eyed and entranced. She kissed Santa's cheek, but the photographer missed the moment.  That will be a cherished photo in my heart, along with some of the sweet, sweet images of mine when they were small.

Hope you are enjoying the play...sometimes I wished Ilived closer...

Love and hugs from Clare