>...then there IS colonialism...because I have
>seen not only people of
>African decent, but arabs and
>other medium-toned people hold a
>lot of respect for lighter
>complected people, and these are
>all colonized regions that follow
>that pattern.

Are the Arab countries colonized?

>>What is it that makes a
>>lateral cosmetic fashion trend an
>>appealing and encouraged practice on
>>their behalf and signification of
>>a deep rooted global self
>>esteem problem on ours?
>
>I think it's because of the
>point I brought before...people with
>dark skin (that try to
>lighten their skin) seem to
>base their concept of beauty
>on power and racial worth.
>Darkening the skin seems to
>be a more recnt problem
>and seems to have more
>of a social aspect to
>it.

My contention is it seems awfully presumptuous to make this statement about people's intentions- I have never seen any person who is willing to do this to themselves discuss their motives yet everybody under the sun speaks for them.

>And not that anything is wrong
>with slight tanning from being
>outside - but the argument
>that tanning is NEEDED in
>small amounts is not based
>on any kind of medical
>information...and may even harm very
>fair people.

Actually I had a pale girlfriend once- her doctor did prescribe tanning every two weeks to cure her psoriasis.

>The fact that someone is disgusted
>by seeing another's veins show's
>that people can not accept
>skin for what it is
>and must put some kind
>scale for an acceptable skin
>color that we all should
>follow.

uh-oh you cant front on that.

>Either way, not accepting and protecting
>our skin in it's natural
>state is unhealthy and anyone
>that would go to an
>extreme and that would risk
>their health has been affected
>by SOMETHING to want to
>do such.


I has chosen the objective route and makes a pretty measured argument- My contention is that the difference or danger in either case is the fashion in which you achieve the desired look. If you're willing to step out of the bounds of your normal schedule to adjust your skin condition then your embarking on a mission that diminishes the integrity of your body as "god intended". Now im not advocating for religion but if any assessment of Black people must incorporate the tendencies and results of racial oppression then in my opinion the whole issue should be elevated equally.

Some of us totally undermine the integrity of choice that Black people have in doing this- claiming that it autmatically signifies a colonialized mind- well then the same arguments are in effect for tanning, or maybe even hair coloring, hair extensions, tattooing, and cosmetic surgery.

My problem is whenever "whites" engage in such things (on a large scale I might add) we rarely propose that they have no autonomy to make such decisions.

I think that premise is insulting.

K