Who I am

[polerin]

This was in response to a a post over at womanist musings

I don't know what a "proper feminist" or "proper feminist issue" is. Nor do I really care... I am more than just a feminist, or an anti-racist, or any of the other hats I wear. It took me forever to find this quote but it really sums up why I find this division of issues into little sub-categories hurtful and absolutely wrong. Please excuse the use of Man to mean human. Bakunin does have his issues (among them the fact that he expressed several antisemitic views) and this was written in 1871.

The materialistic. realistic, and collectivist conception of freedom, as opposed to the idealistic, is this: Man becomes conscious of himself and his humanity only in society and only by the collective action of the whole society. He frees himself from the yoke of external nature only by collective and social labor, which alone can transform the earth into an abode favorable to the development of humanity. Without such material emancipation the intellectual and moral emancipation of the individual is impossible. He can emancipate himself from the yoke of his own nature, i.e. subordinate his instincts and the movements of his body to the conscious direction of his mind, the development of which is fostered only by education and training. But education and training are preeminently and exclusively social ... hence the isolated individual cannot possibly become conscious of his freedom.

To be free ... means to be acknowledged and treated as such by all his fellowmen. The liberty of every individual is only the reflection of his own humanity, or his human right through the conscience of all free men, his brothers and his equals.

I can feel free only in the presence of and in relationship with other men. In the presence of an inferior species of animal I am neither free nor a man, because this animal is incapable of conceiving and consequently recognizing my humanity. I am not myself free or human until or unless I recognize the freedom and humanity of all my fellowmen.
Only in respecting their human character do I respect my own. ...

I am truly free only when all human beings, men and women, are equally free. The freedom of other men, far from negating or limiting my freedom, is, on the contrary, its necessary premise and confirmation.

I support the stated goal of feminism (even radical feminism) in that it aims to free women.
I support those who fight racism, because it aims to free people who are bound by racism.
I support anti-capitalism because it works to free us all from the shackles of wage slavery.
I support anti-authoritarians because in all of this, none of it will free anyone if it does not free everyone.
I support my human family because we are beautiful, dangerous, and strong.

Anyone who stands in the way of those freedoms stands in the way of their own freedom, my freedom, and the freedom of everyone else. They are my opponent, and I still love them, for to hate them is to hate myself.

Comments

This is one of mine

[lbazul.livejournal.com]

"If you stand tall it's because you stand on the shoulders of those that came before you."
-Yoruba Proverb
I not sure anymore about all this who is and is not what, but I do know that if we are all not free no one is free! period!!!

Call yourself first,second,third wave Feminist, I have problems with the location of Feminism mainly centered in North American middle class academic whiteness and recreating the racial hierarchy from that lens and epistemology. The Black/White paradigm also excludes the location of the "radicalized other" in the discourse and agency of other WOC and Mixed Raced women. And then there is the whole we in the west know best!
Thank you for you thoughtful words and time you took to research you quote

Re: This is one of mine

[eclexia.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and yes, I agree with your quote as well.

Re: This is one of mine

[lbazul.livejournal.com]

WM has been good this last week to read and jump in. I started a blog a while back and I am going to try and write more there. http://lbazul.wordpress.com/ the Womanist/feminist discourse seems to be escalating, I am wondering if that is a coincident(rhetorical)or is it running on the same lines as the raise in police and state violence against black men in this "post-racial " landscape? just thinking out loud. Enjoy your weekend, look forward to bumping into you around the blog world.

[badbadivy.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to say but I am SO incredibly with you on this. Well said.

[eclexia.livejournal.com]

I didn't have any response to the animal pictures either, so I think we are even.

[lissa2001.livejournal.com]

You know I strongly dislike most self-proclaimed "feminists"...mostly because in the pursuit of freedom for all woman-kind, they close so many doors on other people. This ultimately is counter-productive as I'm sure you know.

"Freedom is not merely the opportunity to do as one pleases; neither is it merely the opportunity to choose between set alternatives. Freedom is, first of all, the chance to formulate the available choices, to argue over them -- and then, the opportunity to choose." -C. Wright Mills

Now make me remember that.