A former high school just posted some incredibly prejudiced statements about the Ferguson shooting that I feel warrant a response as to why closeted racism is damaging in our culture. They werent the first Ive seen, and I know they wont be the last. Apologies for the initial specificity. I guess thats for him. Hopefully this broadens enough by the end to suit your fancy. Angrily demanding to see proof that Michael Brown asked the officers not to shoot (an absurd request from an unarmed teenager) is problematic, as it completely sidesteps the issue that a young man was killed. Instead of addressing the core nature of the tragedy, it creates a division and demands that more substantial reasoning be given to condemn the offending officers actions. Moreover, suggesting that a black eyewitness or an accomplice of Browns falsified reports of his plead adds an uglier spin to the issue. Black eyewitness places witnesses into categories in which the color of their skin determines the credibility of their statements. Assuming bias is a great way to devalue a testimony. Pointing to supposed accomplices in the occurrence also implies immediate guilt. Due process is a legal standard in our country, and an individuals race or ethnic background does not deny them this right (walking in the street is also not typically a crime punishable by death). I acknowledge that these dont necessarily represent views held by a majority of the public informed of the issue, but this line of thinking is incredibly dangerous. Whether intentional or not, this language puts the rights and voices of minorities on a secondary level of consideration. And the severity of these statements can range from well-meaning to downright shameless, but any perpetuation of these ideas is toxic. It creates a culture in which an individual feels more comfortable in avoiding the condemning terminology we usually associate with direct racism, and that allows it to persist more fluidly. Feeling loss for the victim but suggesting that their clothing, location, and demeanor were triggering factors in the occurrence only fosters the most parasitic kind of ignorance (*COUGH rape culture). Internally rationalizing passivity is much easier than spouting off a racial slur, but extreme views arent the only ones that are hurtful to our growth. Food for thought. Im off to get pizza. Peace.
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 01:49:42 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015