I agree with Joy that environmental racism shows us the need to integrate
an understanding of class issues as a neccesary part of any environmental
analysis, including an ecofeminist one... and i'm glad to see the issue
raised here.
As far as the "white male" issue, for me what works is to remember that the
work we are doing is for the ultimate benefit of all beings. I know that
people in positions of power are attached to their priviledge, yet I am most
inspired by the power of visions of a world that works for everyone, and the
power of those kinds of visions to create allies. Along those lines are
the words of an activist I greatly admire (although the quote is in reference
to the indigenous movement, I think it is more generally applicable as well).
"indigenous people feel that we have a great responsibility to
share the wisdom that has been downtrodden for 500 years, and is now
emerging. We, as responsible human beings whose fate it was to live
in this era, are now reclaiming this knowledge in order to disseminate
it among our indigenous communities, but also among the dominant
and racist society, in order to carry a message of humanity that will
allow dehumanized humans to become human once more.....the great work
of the indigenous peoples is to reach the racist, destructive society
in order to show them that we are human, that they are human, and that
therefore we all deserve respect and mutual help as human beings in
this world."
I don't mean to imply that women have a responsibility for educating men, etc,
and I know how tiresome that becomes for us. More that our very creating
and positively be-ing for ourselves (in the face of all oppression) is something
that we do for ourselves but not only for ourselves (it's not an either/or);
for ourselves and for the world, which includes all of us, women and men and
those who do not wish to be so defined, all colors and hues and combinations
thereof, animals and plants and humans and all other beings...
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Apr 25 20:55:47 MDT 1995
via Charon-4.0A-VROOM with IPX id 100.950425215930.448;
From: "Jackie Van Brocklin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED],
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Michael Golden)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 21:59:26 CST
Subject: RE: Class is a part of ecofem
Well, Michael - I will "jump in" here.... "Economic" class - as in
LOW to VERY low - is unfortunately where MOST females lie in the
class arena. We get "titles," may even get "hired" or "promoted"
(God knows we get the WORK), but the pay? Don't even ask.....
How does THIS relate to ecology? When I hear others say that
"environmentalists are such an 'elite' group" - I want to LAUGH out
loud! If elite means we have nothing more to do than "do the
wilderness thing," or have so much money that we somehow have the
TIME to do it -- that certainly does NOT apply to ME! We just happen
to CARE a heckova lot - if we didn't, we wouldn't be constantly be
putting our face in front of so many fists! Especially in these
political times.....
Even when some women either inherit or otherwise come "into" a lot
of money, there will be closed doors. Of course, THEN, we could
BUY the bunch, and FIRE them all! (heh,heh)
Jackie
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Tue Apr 25 22:17:22 MDT 1995
by VAXF.COLORADO.EDU (PMDF V4.3-10 #8140)
25 Apr 1995 22:13:17 -0600 (MDT)
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 1995 23:11:20 -0400 (EDT)
From: Toshihide Hamazaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Wendy
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I am strongly disagree with Wendy's comment on her white male friend.
She said: " I can't help but think of the great opportunity he has had that may
not have been available to women and minorities due to financial/social/cultura
l reasons." If I understand her correctly, her point is that he made a wrong
decision which led him to be discriminated despite the fact that he could have
gotten other opportunities which is avilable to him.
To me this sounds exactly the same statement as "She made a wrong choice for
her job while she had many oppotunities which is available to her or which use
her talent." I have thought the bottom line is that an individual should not
be discriminated based on gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. Personally,
I do no see that so called women's job (domestic, child care, etc.) as less
valuable, lower, and less significant than so called male jobs. I respect both
jobs. I praise females who choose to go to so called men's field as well as
males who choose to go to so called women's field.
I agree and sympathize that female has been oprresed and discriminated
because of gender. I feel sorry for Mary who was judged not as an individual
but as a class of gender and was discriminated. However, which does not give
a justification to judge an individual of oprressor part as a class of oprresor
. Wendy if you judge him and loose empathy because he is 'white male', then
you are doing exatly what you have been fighting against.
We have seen many cases of "minority discriminate other minorities while
fighting agianst discrimination by dominant class." We have already discussed
so much aginst power play by dominant class; however we have not come up with
any alternatives. Power of dominance has been used to maintain a so called
an established order. My question is how could we not use the power of dominac
e while maintaining some sort of order?
Toshihide
>From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wed Apr 26 06:17:47 MDT 1995
MR-Received: by mta WPB1; Relayed; Wed, 26 Apr 1995 08:17:36 -0500
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Alternate-recipient: prohibited
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 08:12:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Carol Meeds WPB 407-433-2650 x 113 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Class is a part of ecofem
To: ecofem <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Posting-date: Wed, 26 Apr 1995 08:17:00 -0500 (EST)
Importance: normal
UA-content-id: A86ZVSSBUC1N
A1-type: MAIL
Hop-count: 2
To Michael Golden:
Michael, I wrote you offline in a private e-mail communication as
a curteousy even though I am tired of this thread and believe it
not of general importance to discuss.
By your posting a portion of my e-mail and asking for comments you
have set yourself up to sit back and poke at a debate that you
instigated and are not responsible for.
If you want the list to debate your issue, then you should post
your own comments not mine.
Carol Meeds
Jupiter, Florida
p.s. I welcome the comments of the list as to whether posting
portions of private e-mail and inviting the list to respond is
"polite".
