Posts tagged ‘racism’
War in Sri Lanka
“378 civilians killed in attack but army denies responsibility”
“RFI, May 11.Three-hundred and seventy eight people were killed during a 24 hour artillery barrage that began late on Saturday, according to a doctor working in the region. A pro-rebel website had said that more than 2,000 civilians were killed. But the army has told RFI that these claims by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are false.A statement posted on the pro-rebel website, Tamilnet, on Sunday claimed that an assault by the Sri Lankan army, “slaughtered more than 2,000 civilians including large number of women and children,” according to a medical sources in Vanni.
Meanwhile, western media reported that a doctor working in the area said that 378 people were killed and 1,122 injured. Both these reports have been denied by the Sri Lankan military”.
***Once again, the blame is being pointed back and forth to justify these killings, however the issue cannot be solved by throwing the blame back and forth. Human rights are being revoked as civilian lives are being taken for a greater “cause”. Intervention is greatly needed.
A Women Studies Note
I’m studying for a women studies midterm that is focused on the interactions of race, class and gender, and how they intersect to generate further inequality. I’m reading “Doing Difference” by Candace West and Sarah Fenstermaker. It’s funny because there is a section that focuses on white middle-class bias on feminist thought. They go on to explain that some feminist work talks about oppression by women who are not oppressed. While reading this, I was thinking that they speak of colored women as though we are completely marginalized in society. I am a young colored woman, however I never think of myself as an oppressed individual affected by the inter-sectional implications of race, class and gender. Perhaps because I’m a second generation Canadian born female. Perhaps the generations before me have paved the way so that individuals such as myself don’t feel the slap of racism, or the glass ceiling of sexism. Perhaps because “class” is no longer defined by your family, but of what you make of yourself, by making your own opportunities and pursuing what you wish. I study women studies, and find that it does not highlight the changes in society, but focuses on how women were traditionally oppressed. I am definitely a feminist, and will always feel the need for change (especially for those who are not as fortunate), but I greatly appreciate my geographic location for alienating me from such damaging oppression, and would like to thank feminists everywhere, because their work (even if it can be repetitive), has obviously been worth it.
