I am furious about the recent events that have been happening in America, and I honestly don't understand. At the core of everything, I cannot understand how it became us versus them. We're all human beings and the vague "them" that is the enemy is a transparent yet opaque looming threat that can't be pinpointed. It frustrates me so much that this much hate and ignorance can possibly exist. Growing up in a pretty liberal environment, seeing this news seems unreal, but it is real, and it's terrifying.
The gun issues and race issues in this country need to be solved immediately because no one deserves to live in fear. I can't fathom hating someone just because of preconceived notions and hate that was taught to me. It's wrong to be colored, colorless and color-blind–– then what is right? We are what we are, and that is a diverse community. My friends are of all nationalities and colors, and I see them all as who they are, including where they're from. This doesn't mean we treat each other a certain way, it means we accept everything about them. The notion of being color-blind doesn't work because it is a part of someone. And that's just it. A part. Not the whole. Someone isn't "black," someone isn't "white." A person is not "gay" or "straight." They are themselves, and those traits are a part of them. Single labels simplify and water down the complexity of humanity. We are the most complex creatures in the known universe and we're going to identify whole cultures and individuals with one word? No. It may be easier to generalize, but it is not right.
I have learned so much since coming to college and traveling in Europe, and even though my hometown is very diverse, my world has definitely opened up. I am lucky to have a family who taught me to accept everyone. I was never indoctrinated to believe that any group or individual was against me. I am also lucky that I have not experienced these prejudices firsthand. However, it is necessary to be educated on these issues even if you are not exposed to them because technology allows us to do so.
Many of the recent tragedies of police violence and violence between groups around the world were captured on visual media that allow us to see. It is your decision whether you want to watch or not, but turning a blind eye in these cases does not help the issue whatsoever. I have seen a lot of good come from social media in terms of discussion, but also a lot of anonymous entitlement and the kindling of hate that seemed to have subside in the past years overall. These events have created a spark for the call for justice, and there are positive and negative ways to go about it.
In terms of the "Black Lives Matter" movement, I am not impressed to see some people use it as a label to justify more violence. An eye for an eye doesn't work either. Get angry and furious, but don't sink to the level. I will always stand by that creed. I support the movement because it is bringing attention to equality and the both conscious and unconscious bias that exists in America. The whole argument for "All Lives Matter" has been heard again and again, and they don't understand. There would be a lot less impact in "Black Lives Matter Too," or "as well."
The point is that black lives should matter just as much in the due process of law and the use of firearms in the arrest process. Again, I don't completely agree with the single label, but the impact of the name comes from the seeming bias when it comes to the choice of using force. The Young Turks recently came out with a video showing suspects clearly showing a threat but were not harmed, killed, or sometimes even not arrested. The extreme difference in behavior during procedure has no excuse. Procedure is just that, a procedure, and should not bring in any bias.
Overall, we needed this crisis to end yesterday, last year and a hundred years ago. How hate began in the first place is a mystery, but we have overcome so much and I believe that we can solve the problem. In light of all this, I have begun noticing more kindness in everyday life and I appreciate it so much more. The best example was on the Boston subway, where two girls asked another girl for directions. She wasn't sure so she asked the man behind her, who kindly obliged to answer the question. This flow of communication happened seamlessly and civilly. Now the above story is technically color-blind, and sometimes that can happen when all the details aren't known.
However, I witnessed this event, and the two girls were wearing hijabs. They asked a Caucasian girl for directions. In a strange way, all the news about "radical Islam" and the fear it's causing came rushing to my mind. I thought "what will this girl do?" The man was had a darker skin color. I don't know the actual nationalities of any of them, though they all sounded like they were from somewhere in America. Despite all this, with the knowledge I did and did not have, I witnessed a small act of kindness between people who are very different and should be proud of that.
They all worked together to solve an issue and did so in a respectful and humanistic way. Mentioning color or not, that is what happened. All of the recent news flooded my perception and made me wonder what would happen. Normally, I would have thought nothing of it: "Oh, people are helping each other." And that's what it should be. People. Black people, white people, it matters and creates a facet of who we are. But we're all just people, and that's the way I hope it will be.
