The first time I noticed something fishy was in a youth magazine. So I guess I was between 10 and 15. Is it necessary to specify at that time, all I knew about politics was the name of the president? And the blacks that I went, well, they were in my family so we were friends.
After these details (which do deter people calling me a racist), that's my story.
I read letters to the editor of the magazine Jenesaisquoi when I came across the message of a young lady who announced "I am proud to be black."
What was the context? Why was she proud? Why did she say? I do not know. I think she was referring to his ancestors, slaves.
From the bottom of my total innocence, I thought it was fishy.
At first I thought it was silly, because I was not proud to be white. I am not yet in fact, even if it took another dimension. I do not see why I should have been. It was not something I had done but j 'struts, since my birth. Same for the ancestors. And reasoning applied to all skin colors.
Then I found this strange, because I understood that not only this girl had written it, but Above all, the magazine had chosen to publish .
Would they accept a letter from a reader saying "I am proud to be white"? No. It was totally obvious. But they had selected and displayed, without comment, that "I am proud to be black." I remember my discomfort and my annoyance at finding that what was considered bad for whites was encouraged to blacks.
In the same age, while I was in college, our history teacher geo we had spent a video on the triangular trade. Nantais a descendant of a slave owner, showed the ship plans he had found. And he stated on camera that he knew he would be ashamed of what had been his ancestor ... but in fact he was proud of him.
That it is no shame, it seemed perfectly normal, because, again, we are not magically responsible for acts of our ancestors - either good or bad. But he is proud? And proud of what? That his grandfather became rich by selling men and women? I do not understand, and I still do not understand.
That's why I decided to justify the "pride" in the black. I put it on account of racism, but especially, of course, on account of racism. Something like: "This is totally stupid, but blacks feel proud because there is still racism." As long as there would be people to feel proud of their slave ancestors, there would be people to feel proud of their slave ancestors.
The same reasoning that justify me a few years later, under gay pride. "This is not strictly speaking be gay pride, but pride of being openly despite the difficulties" or else, more simply, "gays claim they are proud because some want them to be ashamed. "
Today I think we are proud when we still have a little shame, really.
Or when, in fact, we are surrounded by people who want to convince us be ashamed.
Or when we are encouraged by three hundred associations subsidized by the state, of course ...
I do not deny in any way the importance of inheritance, succession, call it you want. Of course we can be proud of the accomplishments of his ancestors, as we can be proud of those younger than oneself. We are proud of those we inherited, we are proud of those who inherit from us .
But I understand that pride in an "active", for lack of a better term.
"I am proud of my grandfather who was a hero during the First World War and try to draw inspiration from his courage," "I am proud of my father who started with nothing and I hope to be worthy of him, "" I am proud of my grandmother and I want to perpetuate his memory in my children, "it all seems well and good.
And if the father, grandmother and grandfather were all thugs? So be proud not to be like them, I guess. Or find something in them that deserves respect: people are only rarely of crap, anyway. (Even the robbers may be good "big brothers", it seems.)
course it's important to be part of a chain, as they say. Be proud to be French (or white, or I do not know what) to me it means respect the accomplishments of those who came before, and try to show them with dignity and in turn pass on something to generations that follow. That put the individual in context to enhance both, so to speak.
That applies to the material legacy, too. Why is it that the descendants of a writer get money on sales of his books? Have they done anything to deserve it? Probably not. But the writer deserved to pass something.
It is the same pride. Do not be proud of his heroic ancestor, it's a little spit on his grave. We are not heroes, we do not deserve to take credit for his actions, but he deserves our remembrance.
But if that pride is a vague abstract concept, which allows you to parry the virtues of others to admire himself in a mirror before wallowing in mediocrity, I pass.
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