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Jones in LA
Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 2, 2015 - 12:11pm PT
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"Extreme sports is a context for implicit Whiteness".
Kevin B. MacDonald, Professor of Psychology, Cal State University, Long Beach
A few years ago, I met privately with Peace Prize laureate Elie Wiesel. The main topic of our discussion was actually astronomy, but Mr. Wiesel also made a few comments about what he saw as a rising level of ethnic intolerance and hateful rhetoric after a period of relative calm following the civil rights activism of the 1960s and 1970s. After my meeting with Wiesel I am much more cognizant of contemporary happenings in the twisted world of the haters and the intolerant. One dim bulb I found among the ranks of the haters is a tenured faculty member at California State University - Long Beach: Psychology Professor Kevin B. MacDonald. Among his many low achievements, MacDonald recently co-founded a new political party for white nationalists called the American Freedom Party (originally called the American Third Position).
One of MacDonald's AFP co-founders is LA-based attorney William D. Johnson. Johnson drafted an amendment to the U.S. constitution which nullifies much of the Bill of Rights (and other amendments), mandates the expulsion of all non- whites from the United States, and specifies the return of all Native Americans to the confines of an 1800s-style reservation system.
Detailed profiles of MacDonald and Johnson can be found on the Southern Poverty Law Center's web site:
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/kevin-macdonald
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/william-daniel-johnson
So, what does all this have to do with Caldwell and Jorgesons' recent ascent of the Dawn Wall? Well, I thought I'd seen it all, but then I saw a recent article penned by Prof. MacDonald which praises their achievement as a shining example of white supremacy in the areas of "...energy, inventiveness, exploration, and creativity."
http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2015/01/caldwell-and-joregeson-two-white-guys-conquer-el-capitan/
In a similar article, MacDonald identifies wingsuit flier Jeb Corliss, and legendary surfer Laird Hamilton as examples of two guys who do stuff in which (apparently) only whites can truly excel.
http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2011/09/extreme-sports-as-a-context-of-implicit-whiteness/
The absurdity of MacDonald's assertions, and of the assertions of others of his ilk, is almost laughable were it not for the fact that they come from well-educated professors, attorneys, and many other (supposedly) respectable people from respectable institutions and backgrounds. And there are a lot more MacDonalds and Johnsons out there than many of us would imagine.
What could be done in the climbing community to refute what people like Kevin MacDonald are saying? I think we need to be more explicit in identifying and showcasing the diversity in our community. Next time you pick up a copy of your favorite climbing magazine, look at the (human) subjects of the articles, and the sponsored athletes featured in the advertisements; I think there is a lot that can be done to provide a more complete picture of who we are.
That's my two bits worth. OK - a lot more than two bits worth.
Rich Jones
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chill
climber
between the flat part and the blue wobbly thing
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Back in the '80s in Colorado there was a black climber in Boulder that had the same name as me. My friends occasionally called me "The White One", the difference being that he was climbing 5.13 (top grade at the time) while I was bumbling around on 10 and 11's. I guess I was a disgrace to the white race.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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A Black American Muslim...
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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The next thing you know this McDonald guy will be telling us that black climbers do poorly in the Himalaya because when they go above 20,000' their lips explode.
It is ironic that the only moribund race is that of racists themselves. In a few hundred years everyone will be mutts and racists won't know whether to shlt or go blind (and should likely do both).
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couchmaster
climber
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Man, there really is a whole 'nother world out there. Like "Roller Pigeons". WTF?! Blacks tend to be too smart to become climbers (or wingsuiters either), but if they were to take it up, I don't doubt that we'd be seeing records broken. Including one day ascents of Tommy and Kevins new masterpiece.
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Chewybacca
Trad climber
Montana, Whitefish
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As a white man, I am undeniable evidence that white skinned people are not the master race. ;^}
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couchmaster
climber
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^^^Hahah^^^^ Too funny! Wonder if the same could be said of the Professor?
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Jones in LA
Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2015 - 02:09pm PT
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Ten-four on that, @toker. One of my favorite work-out hikes near my home in LA blasts up the first 1,200 vertical feet in just over 1 mile. The trailhead is located in a super-affluent, white-dominant part of town, but I'd say 70-80% of the the hikers I see on that trail are non-white folk who likely traveled some distance to get there, from much less affluent parts of the city.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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^^^Hahah^^^^ Too funny! Wonder if the same could be said of the Professor?
Good point!
John
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Jones in LA
Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2015 - 02:19pm PT
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The first thing I thought of when I read that dickwad MacDonald's article was watching my friend (sur-named Ramirez) lead this little gem in J.Tree, at 10pm one night, using a headlamp.
https://vimeo.com/76654738
My friend grew up in a tough part of town, but he knows all about the spirit of adventure.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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That McDonald guy sounds nuts! It's crazy that he has enough of a brain to be a university professor.
I think we need to be more explicit in identifying and showcasing the diversity in our community. I think all of the pictures of white people in the magazines you speak of pretty much show how diverse climbing is. i.e. it's not diverse so it would be tough to showcase?
In a few hundred years everyone will be mutts and racists won't know whether to shlt or go blind (and should likely do both). People said this a few hundred years ago, I wonder if it will ever be true? I'd guess not but it's an interesting idea.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
therealmccoy from Nevada City
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Oh look, another PHD troll ...
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Now we have asshats trying to coop climbing for white supremacist ends?
what a fukstik.
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kaholatingtong
Trad climber
therealmccoy from Nevada City
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The question is, will this guy have to amend his statements like that UCLA quack, or will he stick to his guns?
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Happiegrrrl2
Trad climber
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They are using images without credit, and likely without permission. If anyone knows the photographers of the images used in that story, they should contact them so photogs can issue take downs.
It saddens me, knowing that there are still, in these day, those out there who believe in white superiority. But it gladdens my heart just a little to know they are butting their heads up against a wall, that at SOME point, their children(if they don't already know dad's a whack job) will have to accept that "the better man"(as they believe they are) didn't win.
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Jones in LA
Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2015 - 02:32pm PT
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@kahola -- I've been monitoring MacDonald for the last 5 years, and I can tell you that he's super careful about not spewing that sh*t while on the clock at a publicly-funded institution.
Edit: Among his peers, he's pretty much considered a joke.
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10b4me
Social climber
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The question is, will this guy have to amend his statements like that UCLA quack, or will he stick to his guns?
same guy?
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Between undergrad at Berkeley, and graduate and law school at UCLA, I've run across some off-the-wall profs, but nothing like this, thank God.
My second quarter in grad school at UCLA, we had part II of the graduate courses in macroeconomic theory. Our prof the first quarter referred to our prof the second quarter as "Crazy Earl." His theories were, to say the least, singular, but responding to them forced us to learn a very great deal. In contrast, MacDonald strikes me as a prof whose views offer nothing positive, even in responding. They're just hateful and stupid. Oh well, even universities make mistakes.
John
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Jones in LA
Mountain climber
Tarzana, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 2, 2015 - 03:01pm PT
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@jeleazarian: I agree that in the end it's usually not worth the time responding to one dip sh*t like MacDonald. A few years ago I began a blog that was focused on him, describing his latest exploits, exposing his outrageous writings, etc. Then I realized it was a waste of brain cells even thinking about him and I closed the blog.
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scooter
climber
fist clamp
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I read some of the comments on that articles page. Pretty funny. One comment says climbers are probably far leftys. When you talk to climbers even if they espouse being aligned with one side or the other when it comes to issues I find most to be what I would call slightly left leaning Libertarians.
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