This question has been rumbling around in my cranium since the Rachel Dolezal incident. Now, with the Shaun King inquisition, it has finally congealed into a coherent thought. Part of the process that leads me to write this, is that, even after Kos wrote his fine essay on the subject, there are still people, who applaud Kos' article, who don't seem to get that the same concept applies in both situations.
WTF?
How do you not get this?
How about we do a little introspection after the break?
A few days back, I wrote a diary titled "Who are you Dkos?" which I had hoped would start a conversation about the nature of our character. I had hoped that enough people would read it and consider it that we (the Dkos Community) could come to some consensus on the characteristics and behavior that we (as a Community) aspire to. The comments I received were largely positive in nature, and I was satisfied that my effort had achieved its desired affect, at least in some small measure.
I also read many other diaries that promoted essentially the same concept, and that gave me some sense of hope, that the community was indeed making an effort to get past some of the problems that I had sought to identify, and that we could, indeed, perhaps have discussions that were both passionate in their support of their positions and respectful of the viewpoint of those who voiced a different perspective.
Now I find that I am again asking essentially the same question as my previous diary.
Who are you Dkos?
This time, however, I will ask it with a different purpose.
This time, I would like to hear, from you; how do you "self identify"?
I think this is an important question. Not because I think it is right for anyone to question you on the validity of how you self identify, but because we all have an identity that we call "us" and I'm interested in where we derive our identity from.
I'll start:
I'm a 58 year old; whiter than white; Irish, French, American Indian, American; Divorced; currently in a committed relationship with my partner, Cathy; Step-Father to her biological Son, Noah; currently self employed IT Consultant; Student (currently two classes away from a B.S. in Psychology); Retired, former Army NCO; former Chef; former Road Manager for a Reggae Band; former General Contractor; former Automotive Parts Warehouse Worker, former Hunting & Fishing/High Adventure Department Manager for a large Sporting Goods Retail Chain; former Union Worker; former Stage Technician; former Actor; former pot-head; former "idiot-child" of a French-Huguenot descendant Mother and an Irish Catholic (shanty Irish) Father.
In broad terms, that is how I "self identify".
That is who I am!
But, is that correct?
I believe it is, because, much of the above, I experienced; but there is a lot of it that I have been told is true, but I have not had it validated by testing. Without getting into the myriad facets of "genetic traits" and what gets passed by which parent, the "bottom line" is, I'm comfortable with the narrative of who I am.
But. . .
I know that my Mother and Father had been going through a lot of relationship problems by the time I was conceived. I know that my Father was working more than a 70 hour work-week back then. I know there are "family rumors" of potential infidelity. I know that both of my Grand-Fathers were known "drunks and womanizers" whose wives "stayed with them" in spite of their well known proclivities, but I have no idea if they (my Grand-Mothers) had sought some comfort from their misery in the arms of "another man" (which could potentially change the entire narrative of my Mother or Father's genealogical identity, and therefore my own).
I do not embrace any of those potentials, but, it would be foolish to not acknowledge that those potentials do exist.
Both my Mother and my Father are deceased. My Grand-Parents were gone before I was ever born. I have one Sister who is still alive, a few Cousins, an Aunt and Uncle who are still kicking, but, I'm not even sure any of them know any more than I do.
Which brings me back to my question; How do you "self Identify"?
I am not asking you to post the kind of narrative that I provided. That is your personal story, and you are entitled to your privacy (and it). You can share if you wish to, but that is not my intent in asking the question. What I really do want to know, is how your personal narrative is constructed. How sure are you of the "facts" you believe it is based upon? How do you know who you are?
After you've pondered that for a bit, I have another question or two for you.
Is there anyone that you can think of who has the right to question the narrative you've created for yourself? Is there anyone who knows who you are, better than you?
How would you feel if someone questioned your narrative?
IMHO, Shaun King and Rachel Dolezal are entitled to their personal narratives, and no one has the right to question them.
No one!
Thoughts?