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| It does matter if you're black or white. (Sup girl?) |
Yesterday, an old (white) friend of mine who I haven't spoken to in months texted me this: "As someone who hates white people, what is your honest opinion on Ferguson?"
I think White Guy Wilson needs to be put on trial. The majority of white people are racist. Actually, pretty much all people (that aren't children) are racist in some way. (Personally, I hate the human race. Seriously. Especially the little old Chinese female ones.) I feel like I don't know anything that actually happened between Michael Brown and White Guy Wilson. The facts are "facts." Why were there so many autopsies? Why is there information being withheld? Why the hell isn't White Guy Wilson being put on trial?!
That's my entire opinion on the case. I could write novels on racism (and why it's my favorite and least favorite thing) but I'll leave that to all the guilty people that are constantly updating their social media feeds with examples of racism, and #iloveblackpeople hashtags, and videos of other black people robbing old ladies while simultaneously saving them from burning buildings, and then long-winded opinions, and excuses, and manifestos about their own beliefs. Because that's what I took away from all of this.
More than anything, I think both the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases have shown us just how selfish we have become in The Golden Avatar Me Me Me Me Me Me Age. I don't want to take anything away from the people who are having healthy dialogues about racism, classism, and are marching in the streets for a better United States of America. They're better than I am. But that's the minority. Stupid fuckin' minorities.
I've been in Chile for the past few weeks so I haven't been as in-tune to my powerful online presence (all lies) as I usually am. Every time I opened Facebook, I saw links to articles about racism, and non-racism, and post-racism, and videos of a random black guy punching a cop, or a white guy kissing a black toddler, or a black guy feeding the homeless, or all kinds of bullshit that has absolutely nothing to do with an unarmed dead teenager in Ferguson, or a harmless dude selling loosies in Staten Island. Because it's not about that. It's about what I think. And about what I want you to think. Too often, these major fucked up situations lead to each one of us pushing our own agendas (see: RIGHT HERE). Sure, examples of racism are important in the broader discussion, but when you're only posting them because it's popular to do so, you might not be being a racist but you're being an asshole.
The reason I don't believe most people's intentions are honest when they post anything about racism is because I know they don't care. Sure, they care about it now. But as soon as Kim Kardashian gains a few pounds (which should be any day now) they'll care about that. Or when new emojis come out, they'll care about that. (Can we at least have one more brown face? Please!) Or when Instagram lets you zoom into pictures, they'll care about that. I mean seriously, why can't you zoom in? I need to zoom.
The main argument (which I don't care about) against everything I said will be: Well what are we supposed to do? Not talk about it? You're right. We have to talk about it. But let's talk about it when we actually give a fuck. Let's begin to question the foundation of everything in our own lives. Listen to your friends and families, watch your favorite shows, look in the kitchen of a fancy restaurant, then look at the patrons around you, look at the person driving your taxi, or the ones singing your favorite songs. Look at them and listen to them and begin to question where racism actually exists. Where it's cold, and shitty, and fucked up, and in your face. Then let's talk about it. Until then, don't waste anyone else's time with your agenda.
Racism is a trending topic. But it should just be a topic. A serious one.
