This year has been absolutely insane. Between the pandemic and the media hyping up Murder Hornets and whatever else, and now the huge outcry from the Black Lives Matter community, it's just straight up nuts right now. It's all I'm seeing on Facebook...which is understandable considering the death of George Floyd was incredibly heartbreaking and senseless. From what I've gathered, the man (notice I said 'man', not 'cop') who did it had some sort of history with him, so I'm guessing that played into it. I don't know for sure, that's just my thought.
But with everything going on, I've had so many thoughts just racing through my head at all times about it. I made the mistake of commenting on a post in anger, and that's not the way to do things. I know it, but it was a knee jerk reaction that I regret, and have since deleted. Before I did, two guys commented on it and it was pretty obvious they took offense. I don't ever intend or want to make anyone feel less than what they are, and it seems like right now that will be the only outcome should I post anything on Facebook right now. So I'm going to take a break from it and just try and get my anxiety back to normal. I had to get these thoughts down and the only place I feel "safe" is doing it here. Kind of ironic, isn't it? The only place I feel I can actually voice my opinion and hopefully not get attacked or shamed or belittled is on a blog....which I'm sure very few people read unless I post it on Facebook.
One of my traits, for better or worse, is being able to see both sides to a story. I try not to pass judgement and work to form an opinion instead. This whole situation has me seeing what an incredible cycle we seem to be stuck in with the black community. One of the comments that was made towards me was something to the effect of "sucks to be grouped, doesn't it?". Yes it does...I never said otherwise. What struck me is the very thing that some people are very upset about is also what they are doing to others. Let's get back to basics of human decency. "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". Isn't that the golden rule? It seems that there isn't a whole lot of that happening right now. I see the same things happening every time there is a death of a black person from a white person's hand; whether it be accidental or intentional. There is outrage and an outcry of change. There is a march and/or a protest of some sort which inevitably leads to riots in the streets. There are press conferences and leadership saying they hear the people. Things quiet down a bit, and everybody hopes change happens. What I don't ever see happening is the actual change, from both sides, that everybody wants done. Posts come out that "white people" do this and "black people" do that. It happens time and time again. Everybody wants to blame everybody else.
I really feel that needs to stop, on all sides. No change will ever happen when everyone is lumped into one category. Yes, I'm sure my ancestors did some really terrible things. Does that make me at fault? Just like the black community can't help the color of their skin, I can't help the family that I was born into. If I could just see some changes in that, it would give me great hope that things could and will get better.
The way things have been and are going, I really don't feel like any change is going to happen. It will be the same cycle until the end of time. It takes nothing to share a post or a picture or a meme or a gif or whatever else. It takes a lot more to take action. You want change? Be the change. Instead of typing out "white people" or "black people", type the person's or group's name instead. Stop grouping everyone into one category. Nobody is blameless. Everyone has a chance to inflict some real change. Catch is, you have to put your money where your mouth is and actually do something. It can be something so small as to be nice to a random person on the street. It can be as big as speaking to someone in charge to talk about some actual suggestions...
Actions speak louder than words. You want someone to see passed the color of your skin? See passed theirs....that goes for everyone, not just the black community.
No comments:
Post a Comment