Yesterday, I was walking down a busy street behind a rowdy group of men, all about 30 of age. While walking, they passed a young woman washing her shop windows with her back turned to them. One of the guys decided to slap the girl on the butt, and as he did it, all of the guys started laughing and praised the one guy. The girl didnt say anything, only turned and looked at them. It took me a second to realize what they had done, and when I realized it, I was so angry I was ready to walk up to them and yell at them, hit them with my bag, anything. Then I realized I was outnumbered by these big, drunk-looking men. If I went up them, whos to say they wouldnt do the same to me? I was furious, but too afraid to do anything out of self-preservation. When a marginalized group suffers at the hands of their oppressors, but cannot protest for fear of their own safety, that is oppression. In that moment I not only understood why the Ferguson protests are happening, but I sympathized. I dare someone to witness something like what I saw, and then say women, people of color, or any other systematically discriminated group do not experience oppression.
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 14:06:50 +0000
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