I am sorry jblended you are right! I read the post to me as snarky so thought it was okay to reply in kind...and tried for a lighthearted tone (and emoji) but seems that failed...I have pmed Vintage Leather to apologize and explain. Thank you for calling me in on that
I admit that I haven't been on the thread for a while and just happened to pop in so this was all I saw. Missing context, I was taken aback, because you're ever so good at discussing the opposing viewpoint without being snide, and it is one of the things I most appreciate.
You have often prompted me to reconsider my position and broaden my understanding with your posts, and that is due to your respectful delivery.
Thank you for not being upset at me interjecting myself into this discussion, and for understanding my intention.
It would be wonderful if we could all agree we have these biases, they are part of us and nothing to be ashamed of, but need to be acknowledged and identified so that we don't act on them. I know I have learned so much about my own and while the process has been painful and embarrassing at times I am grateful for the experience. I guess some might call that woke (which I realize is not exactly a compliment in this thread)!
I would argue that we all do agree that unconscious biases exist, but that those extend
beyond the issue of race, which is what H&M seem to restrict it to. That is the sticking point, I feel.
I have repeatedly taken training courses on the subject matter for my own benefit (and long before buzzwords like "woke" became a thing), but I still have to actively monitor myself, just in case.
This is lifelong work. We can't expect everyone to agree on all points, nor can we expect the problem to resolve itself by repeatedly pointing it out and beating people over the head with it. <-I am not implying you are doing so, but I do feel that H&M are.
Labelling people as biased or racist as almost a knee-jerk reaction to any criticism undermines the entire discussion. From there, one party is accusatory and the other is defensive. There's no growth that can come from it. All valid criticism is mixed in with the (certainly) biased viewpoints, and the waters get very murky.
In the case of these two protagonists, any insight, change, learning or reconciliation they may have hoped to achieve is unlikely with this approach. Neither they, their fans, nor the BRF can use this as a platform to learn and do better. It's nothing more than fodder for internet wars.
Had they shown grace at any point and offered potential solutions (training, mediation), it would have been a different discussion, both amongst the family and amongst the public (us) discussing the matter. Instead, they plopped a loaded label onto the entire UK population (racist) along with a list of demands (public admission of wrongdoing, public apology, titles, security, etc.).
That's not using their voices to affect change; it's extortion.
Just my rather muddled thoughts. Not looking to argue.
