I had a very annoying argument with my officemate today. He thinks that racism will disappear if we just stop talking about race and start treating everyone as an individual. I started disagreeing and then couldn't shut up. (And in one odd tangent, he seemed to be saying that we need to be careful about how much we allow Latino solidarity, because there are Latinos who want to take back the Southwest as their own country.)

Hil, do not feed the energy creature.

Listen to Vortex. Vortex is wise.

Hil, was he responding to the latest law passed in Arizona about not allowing "ethnic" classes, because that insane troll logic is exactly the same that the state board president used.

He thinks that racism will disappear if we just stop talking about race and start treating everyone as an individual. I started disagreeing and then couldn't shut up.

Ah, spoken like a white guy.

Every now and then I have to wait for deer to get out of my way in my apartment's parking lot. They're still pretty, but it took seeing the albino deer nibbling on the grass between my office and a nearby woods to really rev up the heart magic.

One day when I was walking my cat a deer stepped out in front of us. My cat wanted to stalk it. I told him that if he couldn't eat the whole thing he shouldn't take it down. Then the deer bounded away.

(And in one odd tangent, he seemed to be saying that we need to be careful about how much we allow Latino solidarity, because there are Latinos who want to take back the Southwest as their own country.)

Jesus H. Does he even grok that not every Latino in the United States is of indigenous origin? I, for one, do not have any goddamned interest in "reclaiming" the Southwest because it was never mine to begin with. My people did their landrobbing in the Caribbean, ta, ever so.

Hil, was he responding to the latest law passed in Arizona about not allowing "ethnic" classes, because that insane troll logic is exactly the same that the state board president used.

Yeah. He actually disagreed with the law, but then kind of went off on some tangents about how it's fine to teach the history, but we shouldn't use any of that to think about things going on now, because now is totally different than then. Or something.

I am made of equal parts bully (English, French, German) and bullied (Irish, Scots).

Some days, I think I could rule the universe (although mostly this is limited to fantasies of slapping morons around, and growling "Shut the fuck up, and PLAY NICE. Or ELSE!"); other days, I can't even brush my hair.

(And in one odd tangent, he seemed to be saying that we need to be careful about how much we allow Latino solidarity, because there are Latinos who want to take back the Southwest as their own country.)

Oh, Keerist. Yes. There are 12, and they are MIGHTY. They go to conferences with the "Reclaim Scotland, Ye Ken?" and "Hey, What About Wales, Goddamit? Now WITH EXTRA CONSONANTS!" crowd.

Jesus H. Does he even grok that not every Latino in the United States is of indigenous origin? I, for one, do not have any goddamned interest in "reclaiming" the Southwest because it was never mine to begin with. My people did their landrobbing in the Caribbean, ta, ever so.

I don't know. You look pretty shifty with your moving all over the country, sampling states to take back, with your ethnic-y foods and darker than is comfortable for a lot of people complexion! *smooch*

My parents' house backs up onto state woods, so their backyard is Deer Central in the spring and fall. Especially their apple trees: the mama deers bring their fawns and drop them under the apple trees while the mama goes to forage. Fawns have this wierd programming that they DO NOT MOVE when the mama deer bleats at them to stay. put. And they don't, ever. My parents get within 2 feet of the fawns every year and take some amazing pictures of them.