Do white women deserve a free pass?

Question

I hear a lot of people with an unhealthy amount of disdain for "white men" when it was "white men" that built this country from nothing.

& guess what?

When the "white man" was doing all of those horrible things to the indians & later with slaves, did the "white women" protest?

Or did they sit back & enjoy the spoils?

Point is... Just because the "white men" held the guns, the "white women" had blood on their hands as well.

...& yet "white women" not only get away free, but get to join the attack on "white men."

Racism & sexism isn't cool... & YES, men can indeed be targets of both.

So to the racist & sexist haters of the "white men" ...Please lose the self-righteousness.

EDIT:

(tera)

It's obvious that you don't read history, because if you did, you'd realize that the early feminists SEPARATED themselves from the racial struggles because they thought the black causes detracted from their own.

So it appears you couldn't be more incorrect.

Besides... the feminist fantasyland image of every women cowering in fear in their homes while their angry abusive husbands stood over them ready to beat them is not only sexist, but untrue.

(Rainbow)

Well it's sometimes tough to keep an even-temperment when dealing with these issues. Some make my blood boil a little. The attack on "white men" is one. People have 0.0 sympathy for us because of what our ancestors did.

EDIT:

(Rio)
Some men protested, too. Ever heard of the Civil war?

(bikerchick)
We've already established that white men have done some nasty things. Women were there & reaped the benefits. (Only wealthy men could vote until the war. Men fought & risked their lives for their right to vote.)

EDIT:

(Ave)

Now wait a minute... No "black people and Chinese people" are never included anywhere when there's a dagger to be thrown about our country's history.

People reserve their daggers for the white men.

I will include them into the credit when they share the burden for all of the mistakes made & social stigmas from the past.

...& I can still be bothered by self-righteousness & sexism if I so choose. It's what's motivates people to act upon tyranny & slanted systems.

EDIT:

(AVE again)

Who designed the cities & put the plans in motion? Whose ideas resulted in the Democracy we now live in?

Who gets credit for the "Trump Towers?" Don Trump, or the hundreds of workers that made it possible? Maybe they should name them " hundreds of workers towers."

The "blacks & Chinese" didn't just pick up hammers & start swinging. ...I'm not trying to diminish their contribution, but to credit them over the people whose ideas & passions drove this country, I think is a more than a bit lofty.

It's not at all white guilt. It's the furthest thing from it. It's me washing my hands of it & rejecting the blame. (Your "white guilt" suggestion makes me think you might, too feel a little angst towards those white men.)

EDIT:

(tera)

Just ask yourself what some white women thought about segregation in schools in the 60's.

That should give you an excellent idea of what some white women may have thought back then.

Keep in mind that white men thought both concepts were wrong as well, so they can't be excluded from the moral high ground.

EDIT:

(AVE ad nauseum)

So let me get this straight. White men were in power, but cannot be credited for building this nation?

The "power elite" can only be credited for the bad things, but not the good things.

Let me ask you? Was it JUST the blacks & Chinese working the manual labor that helped build this nation or were there some whites involved? (a little light just went on in your head just then, didn't it?)

You may not like Donald Trump, but the parallel I drew was accurate.

Well our society has easily verified examples of a slant against men. Radical feminists have easily verified assaults against men for 40 years. If you're uncomfortable using the word "victim"... don't use it. Hiding from things doesn't make them go away, though.

Answer 1

That question is mean-spirited.

EDIT: I think you only get a free pass for the things YOU do to help the world.

The "white men" who did these things in America are not my ancestors; I'm a third generation American. My ancestors were in Europe and Scandinavia when this was happening.

And if "white men" are getting "an unhealthy amount of disdain", then the people doing this lump everybody into some antiquated stereotype. Whatever happened with your ancestors is not your fault; it is theirs.

The sins of the father/mother should not be borne by the child.

Answer 2

There were many female Abolitionists, in fact, they were often a majority of the movement.
As for women being held equally responsible, that's like saying children were responsible for what their parents did. That's what patriarchy is, a paternalistic social system that reduces those not in power down to the status of children. Women couldn't vote, or hold office to effect change, or even leave their husbands in protest. They had no rights. The most they could hope to do was write letters and treatises, and protest if they happened to have parents or a husband who would "allow" them.
So....no, women are not equally responsible. If women had the same rights and freedoms as men, then I would say "yes." This simply wasn't the case.

Answer 3

It wasn't women who made the laws of the land. Women couldn't vote, much less run for office. And, well, it was the laws of the land which forbade women and people of color from voting, owning property, becoming educated and so on.

White guys didn't allow others to vote and then passed bigoted laws against said groups.



ADDED: Cool down, boy. You are on the right track. I understand your frustration. Not all White guys from the 1800s were slave owners or thought they were superior to Blacks. And not all Nazis were Jew killers. And not all Christians hated homosexuals and were *** bashers. But, most were. Most still are.

For those of us in a minority group, it is not uncommon to think a member of the oppressing group is a bigot until proven otherwise. I can imagine that must be frustrating to a White guy who is genuinely not a bigot. But, to not understand why a minority member might think this way is showing a sincere lack of understanding of social issues.

Your emotions are making you either mis-state facts or omit important social factors of the times. The society of the 1800s, or even of the early-mid 1900s wasn't the same as it is today. Take a deep breath.

For example, you wrote that women separated themselves and left the fight for Black male sufferage (presumably because of racism). Yet, the real reason was that the White men wouldn't allow White women to attend the meetings. Google "Elizabeth Cady Stanton."

Yes, these early suffragettes said that an educated White woman could make a better informed decision than an illiterate Black man. But is that really racism?!? I'd say it is more of elitism.

That is not to say that White women have never been racist. But, it has only been reflected in social situations, such as women who call Blacks niggers and who think that White skin is superior. And, yes, White women enjoyed the spoils of bigotry that their White fathers and husbands provided.

Your claim that White women were equally responsible for slavery et al is incorrect for the simple reason that women were not allowed (by White men) to become educated, run a plantation, or become publically elected officials. Women did not create the bigoted laws. Women did not run the businesses that refused to hire Blacks. Women did not participate in the KKK lynchings (fyi, the KKK does not admit female members, other than as an auxilary group that preps and serves meals at the big social gatherings).

I'm thinking you are not realizing that women in the 1800s and early 1900s were considered property, just like the Black slaves. They were not treated as badly in most cases. But, they really had no civil rights of any kind.

Answer 4

I know that there are white men who think as you do, not because i know any, but because i've read articles on the subject.

As a white male i don't know why you should complain about anything. After all, you didn't build the country, did you? But yet, you get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your fore-fathers "labor" and the position that your skin complexion and sex affords you. Although, they didnt labor at all, they had their slaves and servants do all the real work for them.

Answer 5

White women weren't respected enough to even be heard if they were to have had the courage to protest. Women back then had a "place" in society and that "place" was to serve the husband and the home and the children, not become involved in politics. Women who tried to be outspoken in such matters were not tolerated. In fact, they put themselves in very real danger by speaking out. I don't know if you can necessarily hold women equally responsible for the past crimes of men when women were not equal to men in any way. Women were not allowed a political voice. They were not allowed to make political decisions. They were not respected authorities. They did not hold positions of authority. They were not listened to. Their "domain" was the home, and even there they did not hold the "last word" on anything. They were subject to the authority of the husband.

So we may never really know exactly how women felt about these things. It's likely that some would have protested if they could've, and most probably supported what their husbands were doing because they truly believed that their husbands were more informed on such matters than they were.

This is just how it was back then.

How can you say that black people and Chinese people aren't even "included where there's a dagger to be thrown" at our country's history? (Are you not from the US?) Doesn't SLAVERY ring a bell? And the Chinese were also oppressed. The sad fact is, white men did oppress just about everybody to one extent or another (including those of their own heritage: women!)

Answer 6

There were (all too few) white men and women who objected to slaughter and slavery, as well as (all too many) of both sexes who didn't.

Most people are of their times. Thus, when the general concept is that "those people" are "savages" and must be "civilized" then that's what most people think.

I don't blame them personally, though I abhor what they did, and think it's wise to discountinue such practices.

I don't hate white men -- I just hate those among them (and among other colors and women) who Just Don't Get It.

Those who are living today, when all actual HUMANS realize that race and sex don't make a person inferior.

Being a sub-human, hateful, moronic, brute does.

BTW, a lot of those white men who "built this country from scratch" did it by using and profiting by the labor of women and people of color. It wasn't white men who built the railroads; those who grew crops didn't do it alone, but did it with the sweat of women and slaves.

After having stolen the land from the people who lived here first.

Answer 7

No one is giving white women or minorities of either sex a free pass. Women and minorities have long been kept from education and chances at promotions in this society. Feminist and other civil rights groups are trying to create an equal playing field, how that makes anyone hate white men is beyond me.

Personally I think white women during times of slavery had it pretty bad, their husbands were off raping the "property" every day and they were expected to turn a blind eye. The south was a very warped place. Still is in some areas.

Answer 8

No. Jiminy H. f*cking Crickets! Why won't every person in basic terms enable this stupid, ignorant difficulty die already? Who precisely keeps soliciting for reparations? i'm black and that i do no longer desire or desire reparations. i do no longer even understand any black people who desire or care approximately reparations. the place precisely is this sh*t coming from? is a few random media pundit in basic terms bored and attempting to stir up controversy with a view to sell replica? Do Al and Jesse have a burr up their collective @sses back simply by fact they at the instant are not getting sufficient media exposure from Obama and Imus? WTFk? sufficient already! it quite is an ignorant undertaking. in basic terms enable it bypass. Now that i've got sweated my hair out, I quite have artwork to do. Bored now. Going now.....

Answer 9

I believe when History books speak of "white men" they are referring to white people in general. If you look into history there are some very gruesome things women took part in as well. Most were not back at the campfire making fried catfish and simply dusting off the wagon.

Answer 10

What is the Free Pass for?
Is it a free pass to get out of jail card ?

I think light tan men and women deserve a pass!

I've never seen a white woman , very light tan but never white.

Things change , Maybe they do maybe they don't

Some will , some won't , I might .