Thread

Let's talk about protestors.

I'm watching all of my news feeds freaking out about the protests in Minneapolis (and the tensions in LA). The usual white hand-wringing over "looting" seems to dominate the conversations (shocker, I know...)

Before you add your tsk-tsk-ing disapproval to the stories, please stop. Just don't go there. Do not start with the "why do they destroy their own neighborhoods? Aren't there better outlets for their frustrations?" because to people who are really listening, you sound terrible

First of all, there is no "they." There is only us. The reason we get into trouble is by dividing humans into "us" and "them," and "we" are always better - more civilized, smarter, more polite, more advanced - than whoever "them" is.

Stop it.

Then, think about what's happened just in the last two weeks (never mind the whole of American history, since before America even existed...) and maybe you'll start to understand why we are not inclined to protest in a way that assuages your sensibilities.

You know who ”stormed the Capitol”? Armed white men. You know what happened to them? Nothing.

MLK noted that the riot is the voice of the unheard. We try voting. We try peaceful protest. We try petitions.

When we watch white guys with AR-15s strapped across their chests yell at cops with no consequence, then see *another* Black person murdered by police, we are not interested in making people comfortable with our objections.

The next time someone tells you - or you say yourself - that they'd treat "peaceful" protestors with respect (as opposed to people marching in the streets, say, or blocking traffic), show them this picture.

How much more peaceful can one be than sitting, hands folded, at a lunch counter? How respectfully were THESE people being treated?

I do not advocate for violence in protests, but I *do* understand the anger - rage - and frustration that has bright, direct, and traceable lines all throughout our history as a people. I am listening to what those protestors are telling me. You should, too.

/end