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Bad Eagle’s Question
The late Dr. David Yeagley, a Comanche Indian (traditional name ‘Bad Eagle’) and college professor, described an interaction that took place in one of his classes. (excerpted)
“LOOK, DR. YEAGLEY, I don’t see anything about my culture to be proud of. It’s all nothing. My race is just nothing.”
The girl was white. She was tall and pretty, with amber hair and brown eyes. For convenience’ sake, let’s call her “Rachel.”
I had been leading a class on social psychology, in which we discussed patriotism – what it means to be a people or a nation. The discussion had been quite lively. But when Rachel spoke, everyone fell silent.
“Look at your culture,” she said to me. “Look at American Indian tradition. Now I think that’s really great. You have something to be proud of. My culture is nothing.”
Her words disturbed and offended me in a way that I could not quite enunciate.
and
When Rachel denounced her people, she did it with the serene self-confidence of a High Priestess reciting a liturgy. She said it without fear of criticism or censure. And she received none. The other students listened in silence, their eyes moving timidly back and forth between me and Rachel, as if unsure which of us constituted a higher authority.
Yeagley saw a resemblance between Rachel and those Frenchwomen who were quick to associate with the conquering Germans…and he wondered:
Published in GeneralWho had conquered Rachel’s people? What had led her to disrespect them? Why did she behave like a woman of a defeated tribe?
I wonder if Yeagley asked her what she considered her culture. Since the topic was patriotism, one could think it was American culture. But she excludes her American Indian prof from that culture, so maybe not. The assumption seems to be whiteness. Certainly, that would be explicit nowadays.
I can’t think of a more racist idea than that culture is genetic and attaches to whatever gene it is that determines race.
Perhaps it is false modesty.
People are really good at lying to themselves. Some people are better at it than others.
Sorry dude
A present-day Rachel, right here.
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/382272/
So now I have to keep track of Karens AND Rachels? Great.
Please don’t make Rachels a thing! My daughter’s name is Rachel.
As is mine, so I agree.
But what about all the poor innocent Karens out there?
Karens aren’t innocent. They just want to speak to the manager. About everything.
Karens aren’t innocent. They just want to speak to the manager. About everything.
On the contrary, it’s only a woman of the conquering tribe who can verbally dismiss her culture’s markers because she remains sure that they will still bring her advantage and privilege in the real world. She’s so secure she doesn’t even need to ask for respect.
When ‘privileged groups’ who never asked for respect in the past start demanding it now, it shows the ground is shifting.