I’m Not Ready to Give a Pass to American History’s White Racist Men
Times were different then, but I’m perfectly fine judging them by today’s standards
If you’re a gay person of a certain age who came out in the ’90s or earlier, you’ve probably heard it all before. And it’s very likely someone who cares about you tried to rationalize the homophobic reaction of an older relative.
They might have said something along the lines of “Well, they are from a different time.”
I’ve also heard White people use the same line to justify the racism of their older relatives. They spin it to pardon the racism of people who lived and died centuries ago. It’s a way of downplaying the effect of past racism that’s not so different from saying, “Slavery has been over for more than a century. Get over it.”
Translation: “Stop living in the past.”
It’s funny how the racially privileged love to twist time to suit their agenda. Someone recently suggested that when we assess the actions of men and women who lived 250 years ago, we shouldn’t judge them by contemporary standards. After all, if we had lived in 1780, would we have known better?
