Recent comments in /f/vermont

Commercial_Case_7475 OP t1_j4jbc7z wrote

Reply to comment by SheaF91 in Feels like January again by Commercial_Case_7475

I know the bridge you are talking about, spoke to the director of SHC who said he had to do 70 hours of paperwork to take out that one corner that was in conservation to be able to build the bridge. Used to live at the end of the road in the picture. Best spot I've ever lived for sure.

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Sweendogoflove t1_j4j9810 wrote

Reply to comment by headgasketidiot in Decentering Whiteness in Hiking and Fostering Inclusivity Outdoors by honeybeedreams

I really appreciate you taking the time to reply thoughtfully and explain your opinion thoroughly. Nevertheless, we disagree.

First, I hate jargon. I hated it when I was in grad school studying history and anthropology and I hate it even more now that I'm in education. As someone else on this thread said, it separates academics from a broader audience. And it's not that this jargon is about race - I just hate jargon because I find it's often just a group speaking a language to show that they are in the know - that they have the vocabulary for their group.

Second, I expect the term "decentering whiteness" turns off many white people. It's cold, and it comes off as aggressive. The tone sounds as if something must be done to fix white people. Most people want to do good and want to do right by their fellow man. I expect that's probably even more true of nature enthusiasts. A title that asked white people to hear BIPOC hikers, or empathize with BIPOC backpackers, or understand the challenges for BIPOC outdoors enthusiasts would be inviting white people to action, rather than "decentering" them. My point isn't to say that white people need to be treated with kid gloves, but if you want them to hear you or understand you or take side, you'd be better off inviting them to action than suggestion that they need to be decentered.

As a teacher in a majority white school, I know that if I use terms like white privilege I know that half the white kids in my class will be immediately turned off to anything I say. I know that my kids don't feel privileged and I need to talk about the same ideas without using "trigger" words to get the kids to understand the same concept - not because I don't want hurt kids feelings about race, but because I really want them to confront and understand the inequities in our society.

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