Talk:Susan Still (women's rights activist)

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You shouldn't delete reflist like that, even though you have a point to make. Please abide by Wikipedia etiquettes when you make changes. Oprahtopics

Just wondering why this was deleted

Just wondering why this was deleted: It has generated some controversy especially after the story was aired on Oprah Winfrey in May 2007. The ethnic backgrounds of the couple, Ulner being African-American and Susan being of mixed race race and the excessive use of racial epithets such as "White slut", "White slave" by the accused on the victim, point to the disputable existence of racial hatred or hate crime even in a married relationship. The extent that Ulner had copied from the abuse of Black slaves by White plantation owners of the antebellum American South when abusing his wife also suggests that the emotional and psychological scars on the American society caused by its history of racial animosities might not be successfully dealt with by a culture of guilt and pent-up grievances. Incidents like this are by no means typical of interracial relations, as hate crimes are by no means inevitable outcomes of the social conditions that they exist in. However, it is the discourse of dehumanizing language reflecting both on racial animosity and gender inequality that is particularly disturbing, as they provide insight into the mentality of hate, abuse and violence and the social conditions of unemployment and the cultural bankruptcy of the American nuclear family. Also arguably, Susan's domestic abuse case cannot be used as a stereotypical example of dysfunctional "jungle fever" relationships, a phenomenon much dramatized during the 90's. In a stereotypical and dysfunctional jungle fever relationship, the White female falls for the Black male usually out of rebellion against the boredom and oppression of White American culture and out of sympathy for historical injustice suffered by the Blacks. The fantasy of reversal of power might also be a factor in the two's attraction but it will not prevent the differences in social outlooks between the two from eventually falling out. Usually, the media and entertainment industry dramatizes the relationship as having degenerating effects on the couple's ability to have healthy lifestyles, to work and to maintain a level of integration in the society. Contrary to the stereotype, Susan, even at her most depressed and abused times, have maintained a strong discipline and love for her children. She tried her best to hold the family together and worked to support the family. This domestic abuse case is also far from typical of problems that arise in interracial relations due to the outrageous intensity of violations suffered by the victim, and can only be classed with the most virulent cases of domestic abuse, with the root of the problem attributed to the husband's own criminal intentions. Oprahtopics

Hi. I realize it was a lot to delete, but I felt like the bottom section did not live up to the standard set by top sections. Much of it crossed the line into speculation and editorializing, and--given that Ms. Still is biracial, and not white--irrelevancy. Discussions about the root causes of "jungle fever" (which, in addition, is a term that is rather dubious, I think) simply do not belong in this article. In any case, the top two sections are much better.

I agree that Susan Still is biracial (and she actually looks a bit Latina with her complexions) however to say that the racial hatred by Ulner is "irrelevant" is a bit far fetched. Many people, I guess Oprah included, are disgusted by Ulner's use of racial epithets even though he might be using "wrong racial epithets" on his biracial wife. I guess it suffices to say that this is NOT ONLY a domestic abuse case, but also a racial hate crime case.

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