Huge Cajones Remailer wrote:
At 12:38 PM 12/11/1996, Timothy C. May wrote: By the way, on this
oftentimes off-topic issue of "bigotry" and "racism," here's a zinger some of you may not have thought much about. And it's certainly related to the themes of Chaumian "credentials without identity," which is very much on-topic. Consider a "race credential" offered by some entity. Perhaps one goes down to the local Aryan Nations office and gets one's genetic heritage stamped, or down to the Kwanzaa Youth Center to be similarly stamped.... (Why some groups might want this is left as an exercise for the reader. Perhaps a less-inflammatory example (to some of the sensitive amongst you) might be that some women want to interact in "women only" forums--a clear case of discrimination, no?--and may want a "gender bit" avaiable to display as a credential.)
There are good things to be said for "hanging out with one's own kind" - sometimes it can facilitate getting things done, by eliminating potential sources of friction, etc. OTOH, this is largely a negatives issue, yes? Looking at positive issues, one could probably find as much interesting and enlightening in direct contact with persons of other races, religions, and cultures (if the conflict isn't too destructive), if not more so than with one's own, when one considers that growth and learning (essential to good health) bring greater conflict than when one is merely comfortable. [remainder snipped]