Too much

by Jon Sullivan - 2020-06-16 - Opinion

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I get that if you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. But it's all too much for me.

One of my failings as a human has been my tendency to be too selfish and self-centered. So it's been easy during the pandemic to hide at home, never interacting with anyone, and just riding it out. Just bunker down. Wait for Trump to pass. Wait for the virus to settle down. Wait for the pendulum to swing back. Wait for all this shit to just be over.

Then George Floyd got murdered and shit blew up.

Few things hurt me as much as the entrenched support for racism in this country. And I say that as someone very aware of my white male privilege. My love for America comes largely from it's ideals of liberty and equality. But it's always felt like too many Americans equate freedom to having the right to be racist. And that's also blowing up right now. Empowered racists. I just can't. It's too much for me.

I think my personal politics are radical enough that there's no point in me sharing them. But I am certainly fully in support of the BLM movement and protests. I am thankful there are people more willing than I to brave hitting the streets during the pandemic. And thankful there are those brave enough to confront the evil of calling racism freedom. To me you are heroes.

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Marilee Harrison
2020-06-16 10:56:51 : There are so many ways to be an ally without taking to the streets. You can donate to bail relief, medical supplies for protesters, groups such as Color of Change and Zero Campaign, NAACP, Bkack Lives Matter, etc. You can be a consumer at businesses owned by people of color. Read up on actual black history, etc.

Jon Sullivan
2020-06-16 14:11:01 : Yep. I do that.

Marilee Harrison
2020-06-16 15:50:41 : I kinda figured that you did. 😀❤

Nakea Ann
2020-06-17 22:01:56 : Knowing that you don't stand for racism and are for the movement is enough. It's the little things like that that makes me have hope.

Jon Sullivan
2020-06-18 06:51:45 : Nakea - As an American, it seems shameful that you'd even need to have hope for such basic human rights. 400 years of repression, brutality and murder. Hell yes I support BLM. My parents raised me right.

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