I didn't know what to title this post. A few titles came to mind but either it didn't fully encompass everything that's on my mind, or it was too long for a title. "Sorry Children of Mine: Looks Like You're a Racist White Supremist Based on the Grounds that You are White and You are Male" wouldn't fit in the title space.
I try not to write about too much political stuff on here or social media. I am pretty opinionated on things and I know that can come across as pushy if I'm not careful. I see so much drama and fighting between people on their keyboards and I genuinely don't want to add fuel to the fire. Peace would be a much lovelier option. But lately, I've wondered if in my vain attempt to keep the peace, I've just ended up losing my voice instead? Am I being complacent when I should be standing up? Honestly, I still really don't know what the right answer is. And I am a full believer in face-to-face conversations on the hard topics over the keyboard alternative. Because better conversations and understanding happen in person. But also, I've kind of had enough.
Last night, a video popped up on Facebook from several different pages with titles like "Boys in MAGA Hats Mob Elderly Native American at Indigenous Peoples March." Supposedly, a group of boys, from a Catholic school were taunting and mocking an elderly Native American who was at the Indigenous Peoples March. I saw it, and was upset. I was angry with those boys. Obviously they were acting like smug punks and needed to see some consequences for such behavior. But then today, I saw other videos. Longer videos. Videos that showed the boys waiting peacefully for their bus after participating in the March for Life protest that was happening the same day as the Indigenous Peoples March. The new videos showed the Native American being the one to approach the group of boys and get in THEIR faces. The boys seem to be uncomfortable and not know how to handle it so they awkwardly sing and dance with him for a while before the infamous stare-down. Audio gave sound to someone yelling to the white boys, "Go back to Europe where you came from!" There is also a group of black men shouting profanities that the school boys seem to try to stand up to. Now the story is completely different. And I got angry again. Angry at whoever shortened the video to begin with to purposely betray the people who would watch it. Angry at every single media outlet who ran with that narrative. Angry at myself for being so gullible and buying into the lie that was fed to me.
I'm not saying that there is no fault with those boys. I wasn't there, I don't know them, and I still don't know the full story. That's the point. We weren't there so we don't know. So we should probably calm our little judgmental legs down. And I'm not posting any of those videos here. All sources I've seen with the shortened version are far left-winged extremists who are angry and pushy. And all sources I've seen with the longer version are far right-winged extremists who are also angry and pushy. Just google it yourself if you're so inclined.
Also, I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist. It does. And I'm not trying to say that there aren't people who act like idiots and assholes out there. There are. But it goes both ways. And maybe I just live in a bubble, but with all this talk about women's rights and Native American and African American rights, do you know who I see being targeted and bullied against and judged for their appearance the most? White men. There. I said it. Call me a bigot or whatever else you want. I don't care. Because it's just as bad to be racist against white people as it is anyone else. And I shouldn't have to feel some sort of warped sense of guilt just because my skin is white.
When I saw so many people angry at those boys in that video, I thought I would put the other videos out there to show another perspective. At the very least, people would know that there was another side to the story and show a bit of compassion for those boys whose images have now been unfairly tainted. But nope. There can't even be a POSSIBILITY of those boys innocence. They are forever guilty to the core, no matter what. And that truly makes me heartbroken. Because my own two children are white males. What if it were them? I don't want them to grow up to be be racist. I also don't want them to automatically be labeled as racist just because of their gender and the color of their skin. And I honestly, truly, fear that for them now. And as a mama bear, it pisses me off that I have to be worried about this bullshit. Because that's exactly what it is, bullshit. And my kids are good kids. Great kids actually. And they deserve better.
So much talk about showing compassion. But you get to pick and choose who gets shown that compassion? Show compassion for people who look and think differently than you. But if we look alike, you're on your own. Because there are only a small minority group of people that actually get our compassion. Oh and if our differences are politically based, again, you're on your own. Sorry.
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, I highly doubt that this is what he had in mind.
What a shame.
I try not to write about too much political stuff on here or social media. I am pretty opinionated on things and I know that can come across as pushy if I'm not careful. I see so much drama and fighting between people on their keyboards and I genuinely don't want to add fuel to the fire. Peace would be a much lovelier option. But lately, I've wondered if in my vain attempt to keep the peace, I've just ended up losing my voice instead? Am I being complacent when I should be standing up? Honestly, I still really don't know what the right answer is. And I am a full believer in face-to-face conversations on the hard topics over the keyboard alternative. Because better conversations and understanding happen in person. But also, I've kind of had enough.
Last night, a video popped up on Facebook from several different pages with titles like "Boys in MAGA Hats Mob Elderly Native American at Indigenous Peoples March." Supposedly, a group of boys, from a Catholic school were taunting and mocking an elderly Native American who was at the Indigenous Peoples March. I saw it, and was upset. I was angry with those boys. Obviously they were acting like smug punks and needed to see some consequences for such behavior. But then today, I saw other videos. Longer videos. Videos that showed the boys waiting peacefully for their bus after participating in the March for Life protest that was happening the same day as the Indigenous Peoples March. The new videos showed the Native American being the one to approach the group of boys and get in THEIR faces. The boys seem to be uncomfortable and not know how to handle it so they awkwardly sing and dance with him for a while before the infamous stare-down. Audio gave sound to someone yelling to the white boys, "Go back to Europe where you came from!" There is also a group of black men shouting profanities that the school boys seem to try to stand up to. Now the story is completely different. And I got angry again. Angry at whoever shortened the video to begin with to purposely betray the people who would watch it. Angry at every single media outlet who ran with that narrative. Angry at myself for being so gullible and buying into the lie that was fed to me.
I'm not saying that there is no fault with those boys. I wasn't there, I don't know them, and I still don't know the full story. That's the point. We weren't there so we don't know. So we should probably calm our little judgmental legs down. And I'm not posting any of those videos here. All sources I've seen with the shortened version are far left-winged extremists who are angry and pushy. And all sources I've seen with the longer version are far right-winged extremists who are also angry and pushy. Just google it yourself if you're so inclined.
Also, I'm not saying that racism doesn't exist. It does. And I'm not trying to say that there aren't people who act like idiots and assholes out there. There are. But it goes both ways. And maybe I just live in a bubble, but with all this talk about women's rights and Native American and African American rights, do you know who I see being targeted and bullied against and judged for their appearance the most? White men. There. I said it. Call me a bigot or whatever else you want. I don't care. Because it's just as bad to be racist against white people as it is anyone else. And I shouldn't have to feel some sort of warped sense of guilt just because my skin is white.
When I saw so many people angry at those boys in that video, I thought I would put the other videos out there to show another perspective. At the very least, people would know that there was another side to the story and show a bit of compassion for those boys whose images have now been unfairly tainted. But nope. There can't even be a POSSIBILITY of those boys innocence. They are forever guilty to the core, no matter what. And that truly makes me heartbroken. Because my own two children are white males. What if it were them? I don't want them to grow up to be be racist. I also don't want them to automatically be labeled as racist just because of their gender and the color of their skin. And I honestly, truly, fear that for them now. And as a mama bear, it pisses me off that I have to be worried about this bullshit. Because that's exactly what it is, bullshit. And my kids are good kids. Great kids actually. And they deserve better.
So much talk about showing compassion. But you get to pick and choose who gets shown that compassion? Show compassion for people who look and think differently than you. But if we look alike, you're on your own. Because there are only a small minority group of people that actually get our compassion. Oh and if our differences are politically based, again, you're on your own. Sorry.
On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, I highly doubt that this is what he had in mind.
What a shame.
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