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by zem 5176 days ago
think of it as affirmative action for transgendered people. this cartoon explains the need for affirmative action more tellingly than i could: http://www.biculturalmom.com/2012/02/10/white-privilege-anti...
1 comments

First, I'm pretty sure that comparing the plight of the differently-gendered to that of slaves is somewhat absurd.

Second, your comic is open to interpretation:

In the first panel, the white and black are at the same level, with the black enchained. In the last panel, the white is up one level and the black is free.

So, clearly, the sum situation has improved for both parties. Where's the problem?

why is it absurd? it's comparing the plight of the transgendered to the plight of racial minorities; the whole point of affirmative action is to provide a helping hand to groups that face ubiquitous and often invisible-to-the-majority difficulties, to level their personal playing fields a bit.

as for the comic, the point of it is that inheriting a situation where, thanks to historical swings, things are easy for your demographic, and then complaining that more disadvantaged groups are asking for a hand when you made it on your own, is both wrongheaded and sadly common.

The problem is that to go from point A to point B, the white had to enslave the black to use them as scaffold. As far as I remember black slaves didn't just volunteer to come to America and do the hard work, did they?