Why do some feminists consider it appropriate to use race issues as a rallying cry for feminism?

Question

A recent question claimed that the Jena Six showed the need for feminism.

And apparently the absurdity of this claim escapes her and others.

It would be equally ridiculous to use the erosion of abortion rights in many regions as a basis for donating to the NAACP.

That's not to say that there's not a lot of overlap between the causes, that there can't be cooperation, or that similar principles aren't behind shared, but if you're primarily concerned about abortion rights, donate to NARAL or NOW, not the NAACP.

Similarly, events in Louisiana suggest the continuing need for groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the NAACP.

Rio

A good point, although in the case she mentioned, the targets of trumped up charges were black MEN.

Trinity

My sentiments EXACTLY

Smokesignals.

I am familiar with Hooks and Johnson.

I do NOT think that the issues are unrelated. I don't know why you'd say I SEEM to think that given what I wrote:

"That's not to say that there's not a lot of overlap between the causes, that there can't be cooperation, or that similar principles aren't being shared..." (typo corrected).

What I am saying is that appealing to a primarily RACIAL incident (which no doubt effects women as well) as a reason that we need feminism is absurd and downright offensive.

If the questioner had said something like, "This incident shows that feminists need to work alongside other groups in our common fight against inequality and injustice," I would have completely agreed.

There's no reason one cannot support NAACP, NOW, NARAL, ACLU, and many other organizations. I am not trying to support divisions here.

I am questioning rhetoric.

FRANZIA

Your attempts at condescension are so damned cute!

I don't engage people who claim to be exempt from logic. B'bye!

RoVale

For the record, I agree, and I am not asking this to bash feminism, but to question a particular kind of rhetoric some feminists use.

Answer 1

You will find that people who embrace causes with zeal are often motivated to join any bandwagon in order to be heard. Some of them behave badly, which does not do much for their main goals. But there you have it.

Answer 2

I support affirmative action and equality in housing and education. I do not agree with the racism of the militants at Jena 6 insisting their rights are being violated when it is the other way around and caving into political correctness will only damage race relations even more.

There are no longer forms of segregation and slavery. I don't think people should act like something is owed to them financially because their dead early relatives experienced something and that the compensation should come from people who never did it. It is one matter to decry racism and ask for progressiveness and multiculturalism and a whole other matter to be a reverse racist.

No, Jena 6 is an example of false accusations of racism to gain votes and support politically by radical African-American 'civil rights' leaders (Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton). Nobody has the right to beat up a white kid and then arbitrarily accuse the state and society of racism (like all white people are accountable for one person and that a civil rights movement is necessary over one incident--even the protests are ridiculous and intolerable) against an entire group of people for making six men go on trial.

Anybody who beats up someone else and nearly kills him must be held accountable and race or racism is not an excuse. Why? Because this view is a reverse form of the view that the mistreatment of African-Americans could be ignored in the past. It's a double standard like Ice Cube claiming he is a victim of racism while being racist towards Koreans.

Answer 3

If you believe your world is in crisis you will allow government to resort to extraordinary measures to restore equilibrium. The Jena six deserve punishment but attempted murder? Proper punishment should be a trip to the principals office, a few wacks with a paddle and a call to mom or dad. These days that would be attempted murder.

Feminism and NAACP are about government control. Not Women's rights or skin color. When it comes down to it we are all people. I am against feminism and NAACP on most issues because they both give government the "king's privilege" and ignore the rule of law. This whole thing is a media frenzy.

Answer 4

Ha!! I never knew that femininity could be linked to racism!!! Or sensitivity for that matter. Maybe that is what your friend is equating it to. They still don't match though sorry. What happened regarding the Jena Six was outrageous charges on a racially motivated situation. I was appalled at the fact that the noose around the tree did not constitute as a hate crime. In New York it did. Whoever hung the noose around that professors door in New York will be charged with a hate crime. Jena is the deep south of less than 5000 people, a majority white. They have not "come to their senses" and the protest rally was too much for their little town.

Answer 5

hm, i'm not sure the specific instance you are talking about, but Jena is a situation of contemporary Jim Crow style racism, and in an environment where black men are being blatantly targeted and persecuted, you better believe black women are too, probably even more so. racism and sexism are not either/or, unrelated issues like you seem to think. all oppression is interlocking and overlapping. read some bell hooks, patricia hill collins or allan johnson to get a better idea of this.

Answer 6

The only way I will consider feminism to be in its death throes is when young women start looking for a husband while still in high school instead of going to college and beginning a career and young women go to college with the express purpose of looking for a husband and then drop out. I will consider it to be in its death throes when women work until they get married and then quit to raise a family. Until those things start happening, I don't see feminism dying out any time soon.

Answer 7

Fighting racism is truer moral cause than feminism, and by dragging black advocacy groups into some sort of blanket "solidarity" of "oppressed peoples", feminists can parasitically suck off some of their validity, even though this "alliance" has done as much harm to black Americans' well being as the residual racism in the U.S. Inner city black men confront disadvantages from many directions, among the worst of which is the sexism of black feminists. The outcomes of black males relative to those black females require no sophisticated statistical models to show who are the victims and who aren't.

Answer 8

Feminism is a cult propagating sexism, man-hate, and female supremacy. It is rapidly losing ground as more and more people are seeing through its lies.

As a black jewish man I want nothing to do with feminism.

Feminism is in its death throes and it is flayling around looking for "causes" in the hope that it can save itself. Any "cause" will do because all feminism wants to do is exploit that cause for its own ends.

Answer 9

i've got reported the same phenomenon and have chanced on it exciting and not person-friendly to verify the evolution of the communicate. i'm additionally a proud feminist with severe reservations approximately how the term is concept, and with solid concerns for all human rights subjects. in spite of the undeniable fact that I understand and sympathize to a pair quantity with arguments that men are skipped over from the schedule, i don't sense that my prevalent purpose could desire to be to make feminism be all approximately men. I additionally do no longer see any situation in any respect in working to advance the present status and difficulty of ladies persons the place there's a sparkling desire. i do no longer see this as "doing away with" from men in maximum situations in any respect; advancements in well being, preparation and economic status for people do no longer could desire to affix a 0-sum sport. i ought to flow on yet i'm certainly in heated settlement with maximum of what the extra considerate commentators have stated and notice no could desire to restate it. with regard to the particular question approximately the place the communicate (which contain this is) in this communicate board is, and why, I help, in essence, your advice: "ought to it probable be a residual cultural tendency for women persons to sense the could desire to be the peace makers, justify their ideals, look for approval of fellows or reluctance to be the two lady and frankly centred on the self?' i think of this is an evidence of what's occurring, yet i do no longer inevitably see it as undesirable. in this communicate board there's a solid social factor, better perhaps than in the a number of types the place human beings flow to debate their much less confusing hobbies, and thoughts and reactions take over the communicate very truthfully. I, in my view, desire to get alongside with different people extra desirable than I desire to banish "residual cultural inclinations" and be ideologically organic. this is a functional assessment as properly as an innate leaning. then returned, i like to think of i may well be a peacemaker without being a doormat. In genuine existence this works out fairly plenty for me. there is now and returned a factor the place this is sparkling that there is not any openness to peacemaking, and that's the place I end flogging it. i've got not got infinite persistence. thank you for posting this exciting question.

Answer 10

Black men get the short end of the stick. Their race is used against them, while with black women, they're privileged by virtue of their gender.

Discrimination on the basis of race is illegal, but discrimination on the basis of sex is A-OK as long as the victim is a man.