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ken terry's avatar

This piece is a keeper. Words have become so flexible in meaning some have lost value at a time when clarity is of utmost importance. And your point about intention is dead on. Thank you for laying out the issues in a simple, easily understood (while hard to misunderstand) way. I pray some of your readers take this to heart and share this with others.

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Steve's avatar
7dEdited

Very good. I think the whole categorising groups on levels of victimhood ‘woke’ (I.e. judging people on the colour of their skin), as much as it held some truth, especially in the US context, like you said, became its own kind of ideology with serious blind spots. This has done the actual anti-racism message a huge amount of harm by stoking annoyance and resentment.

What I also find interesting in myself is that as a conservative, patriotic person I was prone to downplay the existence of racism because it may reflect badly on the genuine good Britain has done (I.e. end the slave trade and force others to with naval power in the 19th century, or more modern day the Tory Party electing 2 consecutive non-white leaders). For strong personal connections I won’t detail I’ve witnessed racism in different forms against those close to me and it’s like I’ve had to re-learn what I used to know (before being political), about the presence of racism. I also now take a more balanced view of history, however there is still a tension there between being defensive over our country and acknowledging it’s role in the development of racism.

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