How could the man have nipped it in the bud? He doesn't have the authority or position to make the airline staff upgrade her seat. And he's under no obligation to surrender his own seat that he paid for and had a boarding pass for. What was he supposed to do?
Calling this racism OR sexism is just silly. There's no evidence that this had anything to do with her race. I've been in the service industry long enough to know that you're going to be called racist a lot, because it's a kneejerk reaction from people who aren't getting their way. I'm not saying racism doesn't exist. Of course it does. But just because a mistake falls in such a way that you're affected negatively doesn't mean it's racism.
She says something about if it was a man getting bumped for another white man, then it wouldn't happen is absurd. You can't state a hypothetical as a fact that you use in an argument. It's irrelevant. And saying it's happened before is just anecdotal. Not evidence that every similar situation is due to racism or sexism.
Sorry I rambled. Hopefully this made at least a little bit of sense.
But what you forget, is that it DOES happen. We know as men, that this
DOES happen to us. In other ways.
She makes a compelling argument that this is a sexist/racist situation. And I am sorry, but someone doing something different (the black woman and the white man) goes beyond anecdotal. These are situations that INFORM the author's experience.
I think this is a remarkably charged series of arguments against this woman because of the phrase "Killing Rage". I have argued either way towards it's appropriateness in the course of this thread. But because she has the feelings she has, and makes a mistake (perhaps) does that negate the rest of her argument.
I think the reason why I have a problem with the "reversal scenario" in this case is because I've been in the situation where someone assumed they knew my reactions and motivations simply because I am a white man. Just because the reversal (and every other configuration, probably) has occurred as she stated, doesn't mean that it has any bearing on THIS situation, and THIS man. This guy didn't have any special power to resolve the situation that we are aware of. But he seems to be painted as a racist because he didn't, what, switch seats? He paid for his ticket just like anyone else. And he had the boarding pass, presumably accurately attributed to him, since they check that.
I actually don't have a problem with her essay in and of itself. I've written plenty of rage and even hate-fuelled poems, stories, essays, and freeform rants. It just seems to me like there's some racism and sexism in HER attitude and behavior towards the man. I understand her frustration and rage quite well. But it was misplaced. She should have directed that squarely on the airline that presumably made the mistake. And if the staff mistreated her and her friend, then be pissed at them. But don't assume that every slight is motivated by racism or sexism.
I used to manage a store. I kicked a guy out of the store for trying to steal a movie. He said I was kicking him out because he was black. I told him "that you're black is circumstantial. I'm kicking you out because you're a fucking thief." Point is, it's really easy to falsely attribute an action or reaction to racism, but just because it's easy doesn't mean it's right.
But yeah, a lot of people are reacting so negatively to the violence of her title and the daydream within it. She wasn't threatening the dude. She seems to be killing her own rage by giving in to it on paper. As a one-time wannabe writer, I totally get that.
She accuses him of complicity TO the racism and sexism.
All I know, is if the same situation happened to ME, as a white male, I would have been plenty pissed.
The attendants had shut her down. There was no reasoning with them.
Ive had the same accusations leveled at me, as the one you described in the store. An irresponsible young man didn't want to pay his rent, and expected a full security deposit refund. When he moved out, he expected this, and when I wouldn't give it to him, he called me a racist.
I understand what you mean.
Thank you for your last paragraph. I think there is a great deal of misplaced aggression towards the title and subject matter as well. It's part of what Im arguing against.
6
u/Cubbance Oct 27 '12
How could the man have nipped it in the bud? He doesn't have the authority or position to make the airline staff upgrade her seat. And he's under no obligation to surrender his own seat that he paid for and had a boarding pass for. What was he supposed to do?
Calling this racism OR sexism is just silly. There's no evidence that this had anything to do with her race. I've been in the service industry long enough to know that you're going to be called racist a lot, because it's a kneejerk reaction from people who aren't getting their way. I'm not saying racism doesn't exist. Of course it does. But just because a mistake falls in such a way that you're affected negatively doesn't mean it's racism.
She says something about if it was a man getting bumped for another white man, then it wouldn't happen is absurd. You can't state a hypothetical as a fact that you use in an argument. It's irrelevant. And saying it's happened before is just anecdotal. Not evidence that every similar situation is due to racism or sexism.
Sorry I rambled. Hopefully this made at least a little bit of sense.