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I think the time has come for those of us too scared of making mistakes, to start throwing our weight behind progress, regardless of our public stumbles. I’ve spent too long studying the posts and the texts that come my way, deciding how and what to say myself.
I can only speak for those of us who have had the fortune of privilege in some form, but we need to get some skin in the game, and we need to help those of us who don’t have the same luxuries. People are dying.
They’ve been dying since this US experiment began several hundred years ago. The whole concept of this country has been marred by murder since the beginning. Buildings can be rebuilt. Humans cannot.
When the voices of the voiceless go unheard forever, this is the only eventual outcome. We need to stand with our siblings of color. We need to listen to them. We need to follow their lead. We need to act accordingly. Only when there is true equality can we begin to move forward.
In 1996 I took my first film class at MCTC. It was titled “Introduction to Film” (or something like that). I saw Spike Lee’s 1989 masterpiece “Do The Right Thing” for the first time.
There’s a scene in the film where a white cop kills a young black man by choking him to death in front of a crowd of people. Another character ends up throwing a garbage can through a storefront window and all hell breaks loose.
The majority of us discussing the film commented about the senseless trashing of a local business and the damage that ensued. After a few minutes of enduring this line of discussion, our teacher screamed at us:
“DID YOU NOT SEE THAT THEY LITERALLY JUST KILLED A MAN FOR NO REASON AND YOU’RE WORRIED ABOUT A FUCKING STORE!”
It was the first time I had ever been able to look beyond my experience, even if just a moment, even though it was just a movie, and see that other people didn’t live in the same world I lived in.
Spike Lee was talking about the same shit thirty years ago that’s happening now. What has become apparent is that nothing has truly changed. We’ve just been able to capture it on film thanks to advancements in technology.
Well, maybe it’s time to advance humanity a bit. Maybe the privileged need to get off of their safe asses and start doing the right thing.
I’m currently quarantined with my family in our little home, far away from the fires in Minneapolis, on the outskirts of the city.
I’m currently quarantined with my family in our little home, far away from the fires in Minneapolis, on the outskirts of the city.
I’m a 44 year old man with multiple health problems, chronic asthma, and chronic back pain, so I’m afraid to go anywhere. I’m fortunate enough to be able to pay people to put themselves in harms way, so that I may get my groceries delivered.
I can also pay my bills, and will outlast whatever happens, most likely.
My point in bringing this up is to put it out into the universe. I am a person who has enjoyed white privilege (for the most part) and I’m here to help my fellow humans of color.
My point in bringing this up is to put it out into the universe. I am a person who has enjoyed white privilege (for the most part) and I’m here to help my fellow humans of color.
If I can be useful to you, please feel free to reach out and hit me with some truth. I know it’s not your job to do so. Just saying, if there is something that needs reposting or a bigger reach than you have, I’m here to do that.
That’s at least something I can do from this fucking bed. There are a lot of resources out there for ways we can help from afar. I’ll share whatever I find as I start diving in.
I stand with the protesters. Eventually I will be healthy enough to physically stand with you.
I stand with the protesters. Eventually I will be healthy enough to physically stand with you.
Until then, I promise to do what I can. I’m very proud of my wife who has been heading to the protests and getting physically involved. She’s a true inspiration. As are all my friends out there protesting and helping clean up.
There’s a line from a The Weakerthans song “Aside” that goes: “I’m leaning on this broken fence between past and present tense.” I’ve always loved those words. Such an elegant way of describing that feeling of being stuck.
With respect to what’s happening now, I think it’s time we fix the fucking fence and stop leaning on a lifetime of broken promises and inaction.
#blacklivesmatter
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#blacklivesmatter
