I nearly burst into tears. I wanted to run up to those parents and hug them, and tell them I was so sorry. I wanted to let them know that I'm afraid for their kids, too. And that means I'm going to fight for their kids.
There's a lot about this election that makes me sad. I had trouble sleeping last night because it also makes me frightened--genuinely scared for my safety and those who I care about. And please don't tell me I'm over-reacting or that "things could never get that bad," because that's precisely what people said when Trump started to run for president, and you have seen the headlines, right? But mostly what I feel is anger. And anger can be a very, very tricky emotion.
The fact of the matter is that nothing unites like a common enemy, and that is how Trump got himself elected. Immigrants, Muslims, the Liberal Media--how did Cercei Lannister phrase it? "Anyone who isn't us is an enemy." Game of Thrones may be fiction, but don't forget the author firmly based his stories in historical events. And history has a nasty habit of repeating itself.
As a White woman of economic and educational privilege, I've often wondered how I would have handled other periods of history. Would I have had the guts to be one of the Freedom Riders? Would I have had the courage to help smuggle runaway slaves through the Underground Railroad? If I had been German in the 1930's, would I have stood up to the Nazis, or kept my head down like so many others did? I can't go back in history. But anyone who thinks the present day isn't just as critical as those dark chapters of our past is blind, sir, blind.
So how to move forward. How to make a difference. How to meet what has happened effectively. How to be able to look back at this time with no regrets, with no cause to lament: "If only I had done more."
In the interest of not making posts too long, I will dedicate my next one to ideas, strategies and resources. If you have any to add, please comment here, and let me know. We shall overcome.
http://qz.com/719779/how-to-intervene-in-a-racist-attack/
ReplyDeleteI love this! So simple, and so straightforward. I know I have been guilty of the "Bystander Effect" in the past.
DeleteOne particular incident where a man made an un-provoked homophobic remark at a person just walking by still haunts me. I was in my early 20's, and had never witnessed such a thing before, and it shocked me into silence. In the next moment I became very angry, which frightened me: as a woman, society as taught me that anger is a bad thing and should not be acted upon.
Logically, I don't know what would have happened if I had said anything at that time. I do have a fear that it might have spurred the homophobe into physical violence, or encouraged others around us to take his side. But, it may have made that person passing by feel less alone, and less vulnerable. When I think of that, I think it would have been worth it. Honestly I hope that verbal assaults stop happening. But since that seems incredibly unlikely (especially given the example set by our pending Commander-in-Chief), I hope I'm never a silent bystander again.