Scarlet McArdle Speaks

Most people just don't seem very interested in battling subtle bias.

The earlier anti-racism movements had clear goals. Free the slaves, change the Jim Crow laws, tell people they ought to treat black candidates the same as all the others. The new battle is against an endless battle against one's own thoughts. This sounds fine for people who are professional intellectuals, especially if they are focused on race or gender issues. I think that when feminist blogs say, "Everyone is sexist--we are not blaming you, but we need your help to stamp it out" they think they're extending an olive branch. But to most people, I suspect it just sounds exhausting.

And, to tell it true, the newer forms of sexism and racism aren't as bad as what proceeded them. With civil rights, we were asking people to slay dragons. Now we're asking them to spend the rest of their lives exterminating mosquitos. It may be true that a swarm of mosquitos is almost as bad, in toto, as a single dragon. But they don't summon the same sort of emotional energy.

Equality is so tiresome. Especially when you have to think about it all the time. It's just so much easier for white people to save their emotional energy for important things, like finding the right texture of tofu and dresses that fit. That's a more suitable way for a middle-aged white lady to use her beautiful mind.

Jesus, Megan, if you're too lazy to think about someone else's suffering and difficulties, don't admit it in public. It makes you look bad, in case you didn't know.

P.S. You're making this waaaaaay too easy, Megan. You might want to hire an assistant to catch mistakes in spelling (mosquitoes, not mosquitos) and humanity.