It's been a long time since I've had some weird email due to this site, and believe me I've had some really weird ones; a Christian Goth who was Goth because she felt that steeping herself in the "sin of Goth" made her closer to Jesus (boggle), some white-supremist goths, a few people with some serious self-esteem issues as they feel that Asian people are more accepted into goth because they don't understand that being an exotic piece of ass isn't as fun as it sounds, but this most recent one irked me SO bad, that I had to post it up. I've removed the email address because I don't want you all going spamming this person but I just wanted to share with you why I made this site...because this woman took the biscuit.

It started out with her saying that she didn't "agree" with Goth as a Christian, but she wanted to thank me for "claiming my black side" as biracial people don't do that.

Now, if you know me, you know that nothing, absolutely NOTHING, pisses me off more than throwing my African-American heritage into my face and forcing me to deny that I have a white mother. I am not a walking Kente cloth and I refuse to ignore the rest of my myriad culture solely to stroke the egos of the Afro community. I took a deep breath and tried not to let this rankle, but I just couldn't do it. Not only did she put her holy hat on, but she had to offer me this insult as well. The rough equivalent of "Well you're a half breed but you acknowledge the part I think that counts, so that's all right." I don't need that Afro-hate. Screw that.

So, I tried, very calmly, I thought, to say that there was really nothing to "agree" with as far as Goth went. It wasn't a choice, it's what I am. And I added that I acknowledge every aspect of myself, not merely African-American. I also added that biracial people (if you really wanted to just ignore the hundreds of cultures and just stick to black and white only) don't reject who they are, they just take all in equal measure.

So what was the response, you ask so eagerly?

When you said "thats just who i am" yes, i agree. But, no, you don't ahve to claim it. Many biracial poeple who hate one side of them themselves (usually the black side) don't acknowledge their black side. Its good that you simply say that that is who you are but many biracia people wish it wasn't. Self hatred. And as for the not agreeing with goth thing. As i understand it, maybe i am wrong, Goths are not christians, and are into dark things and music like maralyn manson for instance. I was actually just trying to give you a compliment, that was the purpose of the email. But obviously you took everything you didnt agree with and skipped over the praise.

Excuse me??? Ok, yes, folks, say the obvious - "Goths are WHAT???" Now, once you're done laughing, let's have a look here. For those of you who may not understand why this pisses me off so badly, it's the rough equivalent of someone walking up to you and saying "You know, niggers/spicks/wops/krauts/japs/kikes piss me off, but YOU'RE cool because you don't act like the rest of them." An interracial person doesn't talk ghetto, doesn't listen to rap, doesn't ignore being Caucasian or Japanese or Native American or whatever and this makes them ashamed because they're not walking around with a Malcom X t-shirt and a Kangol? You've got to be KIDDING me.

This has made me spare all my life. It was my Mother's side of the family that worked in the civil rights movement in Minnesota, it was my uncle on my mother's side who was locked up in a jail in Tennassee for taking black children to a football game and fought desperately to get the dogs off the children that the police had set loose, and it was my great-grandmother on my Mother's side who called up Hubert Humphrey (oh dear, the Governor of Minnesota at the time and *gasp* another white man!) and got him released before he wore a hemp necklace at sunrise the next day. So do not, do not go there with me. Whatever I may feel for my father's side of the family who glare at my light skin and hate the very fact that I exist is because of their issues, not mine.

So, yeah...not a very smart idea for her to say that, hm? And I made it as plain as I could that one comment of praise doesn't wipe out an entire letter of ignorance.

When you sent me an email, it didnt have all of my message, so i attached it down here just in case you didnt see it. As you can see i daid, "as i understand it" i didnt accuse you of being non christioan (even though you are not). If you can't take the praise out of something and work with it than forget it. Everybody is not going to know everything about being goth, sorry to say, and im sorry i didnt research before i emailed you, your majesty, but the purpose of the email was to give you a COMPLIMENT on how well your doing with the site. I can see your one of those people who like to correct people on everything to make yourself feel smarter. I dont deal with that crap. period. Don't bother emailing me again. it will be deleted.

Right, uhuh. Now, I can forgive ignorance because that is what it is. When someone asks me without knowing better "Do you use a pick on your hair?" I can say no. But if they insist that I MUST use one because Good Times said so, and every black person in the 70's did so why was I getting so bent out of shape.... that is where you fuck up. Because you're standing hard by your ignorance, which now makes you a fool.

I didn't bother sending an email because she wanted the last word...but damned if I wasn't going to put this up on my website for all to see. After my friends stopped laughing and shaking their heads, they encouraged it so that y'all can see that there is a reason this site needs to be here, seven years after I created it.

Because ignorance seems to be breeding, y0.

LuCy