The High Price of Stale Grievances

[Belsnickel]

(06-12-2018, 05:33 PM)fredtoast Wrote: But when I am in debates about racial problems almost no one ever brings up slavery.  Look at all the threads here.  I talk about the high crime rate among blacks and not one person has ever said "It is okay because of slavery".

I don't know if you remember, but when there was a huge protest over the confederate flag I said they would be better off focusing that energy on something that could really help them instead of a symbol that is not holding everyone back.  If this author had said something like that then I would agree with him.  But instead he claims that blacks today have to result to "stale grievances" because they don't have any current grievances.

To quote him directly.  .  .  "modern-day blacks must be seen through the filter of history—not as autonomous individuals living in the present.  .  . "  The fact is they can be viewed as autonomous individuals living in the present and still complain about racism.

You really are missing the point of the piece. The section you quote there is the author explaining how, in his opinion, the reliance on those "stale grievances" is removing agency from modern-day black people. That saying those past injustices are a reason to handle them with, to use a term I think he would agree he is implying here, kid gloves is removing their agency. He isn't saying that there are no legitimate modern-day grievances. He isn't saying racial injustices don't exist in modern society. In fact, he even discusses how unfairness towards black people is treated differently than unfairness towards other races or by black people related to race. This part alone indicates he is acknowledging the presence of racism in modern society.

It's fine to disagree with this piece; I have already indicated my disagreements with it. You just don't seem to understand the argument being made.