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Ever since I began posting — either on social media or here at my blog — about the recent unrest and protests over police violence, police brutality and racial profiling, I’ve been met with a deluge of criticisms, arguments and insults from those who, quite honestly, seem to favor the status quo over any substantive social change toward equality.
The arguments are all the same — and all without basis in fact, missing anything resembling logic and reason, and wholly devoid of any historical context or understanding. (To wit: Everyone always says they hate history classes; unfortunately, not studying history leaves you looking like an imbecile when it comes time to talk about social issues, which take decades, if not centuries or longer to coalesce and have an effect on culture and society.)
And the arguments all come from nearly 100 percent the same people — white men. I find that to be of no coincidence at all whatsoever.
It’s all getting a bit much. I’m tired of having to re-explain and re-explain and re-explain.
So, time for a rant:
No, I will not apologize for calling you out on your condemnations, of whatever form, of the recent protests regarding police violence and brutality in this country. Obviously, no one is seriously in favor of or advocating violence, looting or vandalism. This isn’t the argument or issues of concern here, and no one, much less me, has been making this “argument.”
Instead, this line of response is nothing more than a distraction, and I will no longer indulge nor will I “respect” your whiny, self-entitled, privileged “opinion” that usually goes along the lines of “Well, these protests should be peaceful.”
Every time you choose to discuss vandalism or looting (which has been minor in comparison to the much larger, more peaceful protests in which police are the only violent ones) you both engender and perpetuate a status quo silencing of real people with real concerns — concerns that have been ignored and silenced for far too long.
Let’s spend time talking about our broken criminal justice system, broken lives, broken bones and broken people, instead of trying to distract from the real issues by talking about broken inanimate objects.
Things can be replaced. Human life cannot.
Get your shit together and your priorities in order.
If this upsets you, if you feel I’m speaking to you — perhaps take a pause and think long, hard and deep on why you might be so utterly, personally offended that someone is asking you to value human life over property.
Then, after you’ve thought, get over yourselves. This is not about you and your feelings.
P.S. — If you’re a Christian, or if you value the teachings of the Christian tradition, I’ll also ask if you would have condemned Jesus’ “vandalism” and “violence” when he drove out the moneychangers and turned over their tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12). Surely not. Because there were larger, more important issues at play, right? Same here.
Update: Breaking: As protests spread, national religious site is vandalized, violence follows
