Why is ante bellum racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are free to throw antebellum parties if they want. Other people are also free to think that they are in bad taste. Nobody is proposing a ban on it.

Except the fraternity founded by Robert E. Lee.

[Anonymous]

It's problematic because it's quite east to go from wearing "Antebellum" dresses...





...to having Confederate flags on the wall of your dorm/sorority.





It's almost as if...in 2020...you're OK with racism and probably actively racist?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s simply a period of American history, nothing more and nothing less. Unless people want to rewrite history books there is nothing inherently wrong with it.

It was a BAD period of American history.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are free to throw antebellum parties if they want. Other people are also free to think that they are in bad taste. Nobody is proposing a ban on it.

Except the fraternity founded by Robert E. Lee.

They are free to do so. They have chosen not to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP is a master troll.

Most likely, but if not, then we’ve gotten a peek into the psyche of the kind of person who buys into Russian propaganda about BLM, unapologetically elects politicians who use dog whistles to attract white supremacists, denies the existence of institutional racism and white privilege, and all the while says they don’t have a racist bone in their body because they can point to someone who is Black with whom they have a positive relationship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

If white people had been the slaves of people of color in this country, you might feel very differently about people celebrating an era of enslavement for your family.

In the countries where the slaves and the slave owners were of the same ethnicity, nobody looks down on costumes and celebrations because there is no visual marker; and at this point nobody remembers or really cares.

Slavery didn’t work the same way in every country. In some countries, you couldn’t be “born” into slavery. In some you could earn your freedom. It’s no coincidence that when the slaves didn’t look like the slave owners, the practice of slavery was even more brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are free to throw antebellum parties if they want. Other people are also free to think that they are in bad taste. Nobody is proposing a ban on it.

Except the fraternity founded by Robert E. Lee.

They are free to do so. They have chosen not to.

I think you misunderstood PP. Kappa Alpha did ban these. If they think it’s bad, everyone else really should too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a descendant of poor white mountain trash subsistence farmers from southwestern Virginia who were forced to fight and die on behalf of rich southern plantation owners, I see absolutely nothing romantic or whimsical about dressing up like Scarlet O’Hara and sipping mint juleps under a magnolia tree.

My great great grandfathers and uncles bled and died because wealthy 1% southern elites wanted to continue to own other human beings. And my kin were drafted and marched off to die for them in places like Chancellorsville, Bull Run and Antietam.

So as a southerner, nah, I have no fondness for Antebellum culture LARPing.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are free to throw antebellum parties if they want. Other people are also free to think that they are in bad taste. Nobody is proposing a ban on it.

Except the fraternity founded by Robert E. Lee.

They are free to do so. They have chosen not to.

I think you misunderstood PP. Kappa Alpha did ban these. If they think it’s bad, everyone else really should too.

I dont think I misinterpreted. My point is that no laws are being passed, let alone proposed, to ban any of this. People and organizations are choosing to do so for themselves, as is their right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

Deplorable. But at least the descendants of former slaves can't be visually identified in order to humiliate.

Deplorable is when activists strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

Deplorable. But at least the descendants of former slaves can't be visually identified in order to humiliate.

Deplorable is when activists strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance.

What does it mean to "strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

Deplorable. But at least the descendants of former slaves can't be visually identified in order to humiliate.

Deplorable is when activists strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance.

When you dress like Robert E. Lee, expect people to discuss the reasons why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

Deplorable. But at least the descendants of former slaves can't be visually identified in order to humiliate.

Deplorable is when activists strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance.

What does it mean to "strategically rehash the era of slavery in order to gain political dominance?"

Putting up statues of long deceased confederate traitors and throwing antebellum based parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that asking this question invites all kinds of criticism. I am asking sincerely. Help me understand why wearing pretty dresses to a party is racist?

Thank you.

Because we (Americans) are still living with the fallout from that era. Your neighbors, your kids friends’ parents, your coworker you have coffee with - all these people’s lives (and yours) have been shaped by the “ideals” of that time. You cannot separate the pretty dresses and the parties from what the plantation was all about. It is not just a historical artifact. It affects the wounds in our country today.

If you wanted to romanticize medieval Europe or the Japanese empire or the Scottish-English wars, have at. Those periods shaped history (like all periods do) but not as viscerally for your fellow countrymen and women as the antebellum south does. To fetishize that period is to say that you ignore or don’t care about it’s effects on people around you today. Which makes you seem clueless and racist.

But the fallout is so profound because the slaves were of different color. If they came from a different continent, we wouldn’t have all the racial tensions that exist today, right? So maybe you are ascribing slavery a much bigger impact and the reality is that people of different ethnicities don’t really want to live next to each other and would much rather live in homogeneous communities?

Ohhh honey, the thought you just expressed is racism. Maybe you should reflect on how racism operates because you are limiting it to cross burnings, lynching and the n word

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People who romanticize that time period (myself included) do it because we enjoy the ambiance and aesthetics of it. The fate of slaves is usually the last thing on my mind. Actually, it’s not on my mind at all.
I just wish i was born back then into a wealthy family.

And this is what makes this attitude racist, ignorant and callous.

You are glamorizing the ambiance and aesthetics of a period of time that included great cruelty and horrific abuse. You are appreciating the style and culture of those who inflicted great injustice and abuses on a large population and you callously ignore the effect that your reverence has on those around you. You realize that dressing up in antebellum clothes makes those who are descended from slaves feel horrible and yet you don't even care. When pointed out, you are not apologetic, you just keep reiterating how indifferent you are to how your actions and romanticizing the period incense and aggravate others.

That's racist. The fact that you don't care about the effect on others and how you don't think at all about the slaves and how wearing those clothes affects those around you, is racist. And you perfectly echo the people you are dressing up as. They also didn't care about the slaves. In fact, they didn't even consider them people, they considered them property, and were as indifferent to their feelings as they were to the feelings of cows or sheep.

If the slaves were white, would it still be racist or just ignorant?

If white people had been the slaves of people of color in this country, you might feel very differently about people celebrating an era of enslavement for your family.

In the countries where the slaves and the slave owners were of the same ethnicity, nobody looks down on costumes and celebrations because there is no visual marker; and at this point nobody remembers or really cares.

Which country are you referring to? The ottoman families that owned other people until the First World War? It was not a race based slavery per se but people from the balkans and Ethiopia were particularly prized, they hate the ottomans and none of them, including the Muslim populations glorify the ottomans or dress is ottoman costume, neither do the Arabs who likewise hate their erstwhile masters. I’ve only seen ottoman costume etc in Morocco and turkey and only individuals know what their place in ottoman society was. I actually know a Jewish family who are now French that left turkey after ww1 and they don’t do ottoman cosplay despite being proud of that heritage, like Boris Johnson who also has ottoman heritage. What other slave owning country has the same fallout as the USA where due to Jim Crow , the slave population is actually still alive albeit elderly? And if you consider the emancipation to be freedom not the end of Jim Crow, then the children of the enslaved are still alive albeit elderly