(no subject)

[missroserose]

In praise of liberal guilt.

Or, in a nutshell: What, exactly, is the problem with being excited over how far we've come as a nation that we're able to have a black man be a viable candidate? Considering that it really wasn't that long ago that such a man would have very good reason to fear for his life each moment, I think it's awesome to see how much progress we've made in turning an abstract and idealized "right" - the right to freedom from fear - into a reality.

And if anyone wants to make fun of my liberal guilt, they can try spending decades living in a slum, spending all their time afraid that if they even look at a person of a different color they'll be attacked or even lynched for "not keeping to their place." If that's not the kind of thing we as a country should feel guilty about, I don't know what is.

Comments

[tygenco-x.livejournal.com]

I don't see skin tone when I'm talking with folks down here or up there. I mean, I see it but I don't regard it as a form of judgment. 'cause honestly, people are people. It must be because of my upbringing in Juneau; sure there was a clear line for adults on the white vs native issue, but as a kid, you've just got your classmates and it didn't matter what culture you were a part of.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

I think "liberal guilt" is a phrase the conservobots invented to try and shame us out of espousing diversity.

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Perhaps, which is (as the article's author points out) kind of hypocritical, since experiencing guilt implies that one has morals that have been violated, and conservatives love to harp on liberals' lack of morals.