%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
It's about the one liners: a guy, a girl, 3 dogs, 2 cats and two mice walk into a house.. |
|
With everything going on in this world, I thought it high time to have a blog. I have a lot to say, and whether I say it into a void or if I actually get people interested--I'm not sure. I think some of the things I have to say will be helpful or interesting. As I add entries to the blog, I'll add more to the description of the blog. May your muses sing!  Shroud
|
| I usually try to not let what’s happening in the news affect me so heavily, but the current events going on in America right now is scary. Trump supporters storming the capitol, rooting and rioting. I would love to say I was surprised by the events that unfolded, but I wasn’t. Not really. These are the same group of individuals who condemned BLM for “rioting” in the streets, condemned kneeling in silent protest for the injustices in a place that is supposed to be the home for all. No. I think what surprised me was the complicitness of the government and the police. I’m so used to seeing protests met with such an uneven show of violence and vicious cruelty. Even days later, many are dancing around putting the true name to what happened--domestic terrorists attempting to incite an insurrection. Seeing the peaceful reaction--before, during, and after--was, and is, scary. When people of color protested the murder of their people at the hands of power drunk, uniformed officials that swore an oath to protect them, they were met with chemicals, rubber bullets, and batons. When Indigenous people protested the simple right to clean water on promised land, they were met with police dogs and arrests. Now? We have privileged, self-important white people, armed and frothing with false facts and conspiracies treated as peaceful protestors. Their actions have been justified by a small would-be dictator wannabe afraid of a future without the power to absolve his many many sins. It’s frustrating, and it’s frustrating because I can only begin to understand as an outsider looking in. How alone and angry and scared and hurt people of color must feel seeing how different their skin weighs on their scales. I fully recognize my privilege. I fully recognize that my position in life was given to me at least in part because I am white. When I was pulled over for speeding last week, I didn’t think twice about where my hands were. I never once entertained that the policeman would hurt me. I don’t worry that my brothers are going to be shot for walking with a hoodie on. For sleeping in their home. For being children and playing with toys. There is something so inherently wrong with this world when entire populations of people have to exhaust mental anxieties just to not appear “threatening” or to conform to a normalcy they had no say in creating. My heart aches for the injustice, and I wear the guilt of my complicitness. This last year was a year of eye opening revelations. Through my friends, through reading opinion blogs, I realized that even the anger I have felt on behalf for people of color has been through the eyes of a white person. It’s always been about me and how racism has affected me. It’s been an uncomfortable experience really ripping the layers of institutionalized racism and my role in it’s continuation and the ways that I actually can help that isn’t just meant to make me feel better as a person, but is an actual step toward progress. I don’t want my anger and indignation to be performance art. It needs to be more than that. It needs to be intentional, and directed in a way that people of color have reached out and told their allies they need help. They know what they need. It’s time we stopped and listened. So, last week’s events at the capitol were scary. I see a dark and dreary path ahead before America can heal. But, that fear comes from a place of white privilege. If there is this fear in my heart, I can only imagine the emotional roller coaster and exhaustion that people of color have felt. |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
