Rachel Dolezal

[jellymaker]

Is it possible to identify yourself with another race? Genuine or a fraud? Opinions please

Very sad. I think she has problems. I wish they would leave her alone. This can't be good for her mental health. The pressure on her must be enormous. I hope she comes out well through the other side of this.

She is not a fraud, she has built this identity and lived the lie. It has gone too far and she couldn't get out.

this level of lying takes to you fraud though doesn't it? If she had been honest about it then maybe..

Yes, technically, but she must have mental health problems to have gone this far with it. I doubt it will be the only case, and I think it is in some ways a symptom of society which in a way lead to this craziness. I think she has been influenced wrongly and her problems led to this.

She felt that she gained from this identification and denial of her real roots, and she did in fact gain. But she lost her real identity in this make-beiieve land that she believed offered her more moral worth in my opinion.

I think the philosophical implications are huge as it impinges on identity across other spheres. She argues her right to identify as she pleases and a progressive society may one day end up allowing identification of sex or gender or other identities that do not reflect original birth roots. What this might mean for society and identity and roots is anyone's guess.

Are the philosophical implications huge?...does anyone accept her right to identify as she pleases. she is literally calling white, black..

I think they are. There are already articles comparing this is some way with transgender people born as men saying they are women and vice versa.

It boils down to what is identity, is it fixed or can it be changed and how will society treat the change.

I feel sorry for her. I don't believe her parents had anything other than spiteful reasons for outing her. May well be missing the point in some peoples eyes, but from her pov I feel sad.

This is an argument by a black woman. I think it is wrong, but I am not a progressive and our society is increasingly progressive.

"Rachel Dolezal has a right to be black"
...
"Dolezal is disturbing for many people because she marks a cultural fault line. Like it or not, we have entered into an era of elective race -- a time when people expect that one has a right and dignity to claim the identity of one's choice
...
Dolezal's case forces us to examine our society, which made her feel that passing for a black woman was her best choice in her advocacy for African American issues. She forces us to consider whether our biology or our action is more important to identity, and should we act in ways that honor our chosen identity in meaningful ways. We should not have to be slaves to the biological definition of identity, and we should not use race or gender identities as weapons to punish one another."

edition.cnn.com/2015/06/15/opinions/rich-rachel-dolezal/

As our society becomes more and more progressive and as progressives begin to form more public opinion, I think the implications for society are enormous.

Radio 4 now, the Moral Maze on the morality of victimhood. It will discuss Rachel and scientist Tim Hunt. I do believe that society and victimhood did make Rachel feel that she would gain moral superiority through this identification and denial of her real roots.