Thursday, March 21, 2019

On Solidarity

Many white settlers here in North America like to feel better about themselves when they think they're taking the moral high ground based on others actions...

I'm better than ________.
At least I'm not a ______.
You name it .. a racist, a manipulative person, a sexist, a con-artist, a rapist, an abuser, a murderer, a thief, a gunman, a mysogynist, a nazi, a bigot, a pedophile, a smuggler, a killer...
..a *gulp*... trump supporter?!
...the list goes on and on...
And sure.. some ppl are trash.. hell, lots of ppl are trash!

But are you really better?
So maybe you never shot up a school, or raped babies, or blew up a bunch of nuns, or whatever the fuck else..
..but are you really going to call yourself a good/moral/wise person based on what you DON'T do?!
All kinds of awful people of ALL kinds exist.. but if you're a white colonizer living on stolen indigenous land you're sure as shit still one of them.
Get off your high horse and think of yourself as one of the bad people already.
Then go do something about it.

It's easier to think of other bad behaviors and people (like racists) as a lost cause..
...as those "other" awful people you simply can't stand to look at or talk to..

Yeah, well indigenous folks and POC don't like fucking dealing with opressors either. They're just forced to endure us every damn second of every damn day against their will. That's forced upon their lives.

I try to do good. I know that consistently open/non-judgemental dialog can and does change the minds and hearts of bad ppl over time. I know because I changed.

I grew up surrounded by abuse.
I was taught to abuse.
As a youngster, I abused.
I also choose not to abuse now.
I unlearned that shit.
(Thnks, feminism/therapy/friends/allies..)

People aren't born monsters.
Racism isn't biologically innate in certain humans.. it's learned.

I also know I'm not going to change minds by preaching to the choir either.

It's always seemed unfair (for me as a priviledged/rich/whiteIDd person) to not actively use my many privileges to try to dismantle systemic and internalized racism every chance I possibly get.

So I choose to talk to racists...
Because I am part of the problem.
...and I owe it to others to be part of the solution.

I don't like dialog with bigots anymore than anyone else.. but my education was never about me or for me. It was never about making things easier for me.

(the world doesn't revolve around me)

.....my education was in solidarity alongside those allowing me to be an ally.

I went to school on Duwamish land.. not for myself, but for all those who can't.

Why not strike up a conversation with a shitty person today?