Last Wednesday's horror is helping me make room for new "friends". I had no idea how racist some people are, with whom I've been acquainted for a long time, via social media. They've been quite bold with their rhetoric, and now that their cult leader is on his way out, they don't know what to do except continue repeating his nonsense, and try to convince others that it makes sense. They've exposed themselves; they thought it was hip, acceptable, and safe to spew racist rhetoric, fly their giant flags, bully their neighbors, and harass strangers. Now, it's impossible to put the bigoted genie back into the bottle. Now everyone knows who they are, and their leader is proving he could care less about them.
My grandmother used to say, "A hit dog always hollers." I've noticed if I post anything, for example, about how despicable the attack was, or anything referring to race in America, certain people always show up in the comments to both sides the issue. I have no patience for it. There's no comparing peacefully protesting the repeated murder of innocent human beings, with vandalizing a federal building, and staging a coup with intent to murder and kidnap people-- because you were lied to about an election. It's not the same. Shouldn't even have to say it.
45 said he was gonna drain the swamp. Who knew the swamp extended far and wide into everyone's personal, professional, and social media circles? Everyone is finding out who's in their neighborhoods, friends and followers lists. It has been a pleasure to delete and block those who are so committed to being willfully ignorant, woefully backward, and manipulatively racist. They're exhausting.
I’ve never been anything except Black in America. So were my parents and grandparents. I was taught to love, care, have patience, understanding, empathy, respect everyone— and be discerning.
With that being said, if people intend to defend, spin, minimize, or excuse last Wednesday's insurrection in any way, my suggestion is: Unfriend me. I'm not trying to understand, excuse, or sympathize with terrorists. I don't care what the "official" definition of terrorist is that gives an act that designation. If you, and your actions deliberately traumatize, harm, and frighten people, well dammit, you're a terrorist in my eyes.
I don't want to guess why they stormed the Capitol. I know why.--because they could. They got their marching orders, and everything was in place (or out of place) for them to succeed. With every passing day, it's clear the rioters had help from the top and inside. I also know that if the mob had been a melanin-rich group, there wouldn't have been enough body bags to go around, or enough sod to replace the blood-soaked lawn.
Yeah. I'm still angry. I think everyone should be. I think the media should keep the videos and still photos coming. There should be a museum exhibit. Lesson plans. Discussions. Lectures. It shouldn't be swept under the rug. America has a bad habit of repeating lessons she should have learned.
Arrests aren't being made fast enough. I'm angry, but I didn't say I'm unhinged. There are ways to express oneself without forfeiting your freedom. My parents taught me better than to dress up like a drunken Power Ranger and stage a coup at a federal building. The lies and conspiracies consumed daily--supplied by people who profited handsomely off of loyalty and ignorance--sufficiently enraged those crazed men and women last Wednesday. It, however, doesn't excuse them. Now they're realizing they've been used. One day, people are going to realize just how much racism has cost them. It actually broke my heart to see that some made the insurrection a family affair.
My late father was a federal protective officer. He knew all about evacuating buildings and securing perimeters, and how many entrances and exits there were. He said the last thing he ever wanted to do was have to take his gun out of its holster. When I think about what the unsuspecting officers had to endure, it's heartbreaking. The thought that help was withheld while 45 watched it all with glee, is infuriating. Watching TV last Wednesday was jarring. That anyone can find anything to defend or downplay is beyond me.
I curate the content on my online sites, and I'm in no mood for apologists. Don't try to lecture people about experiences they have lived and you've only observed. Check your racism, bigotry, and any underlying hatred now more than ever, that is, if your privilege, entitlement or historic shame has never moved you to do it before.
Specifically, don’t invoke Jesus, God, Christianity or the church if you can gloss over the insanity, and inhumanity that descended on DC, and spin it to make some stupid point that tries to project blame where it doesn't belong. If you're feeling guilt, do the work to understand why, but don't ever approach a descendant of slaves--in person, or online-- with an idiotic, both sides narrative about bigotry or injustice. The truth is the light, and some people's version of truth denies the humanity and intelligence of others.
If you think this rant is directed at only white people or republicans, think again. Sometimes, it's your own people who can be the most clueless, cowardly, problematic, illogical, self-hating, and in denial.
You want to call evil good, and prop up a strongman? You want NO accountability for YEARS of the same type of violence that racists ALWAYS resort to when they can’t have their way? Help yourself; go off—but I'm not interested. I’ve seen too much; experienced too much. Take the 400+ year con game somewhere else. There's no debate to be had. Greedy liars in high places planned, facilitated, funded, and incited an insurrection. People's lives were in danger. And for what? People actually left the comfort and safety of their homes to break the law-- and they proudly recorded it all! There's no logic or reasonable explanation for that, other than, they were sure they'd face no consequences.
One of the first big words I learned in Sunday School was “cunning”, and some folk, who are toting and quoting bibles, are all that and a lot more. I don’t play with snakes. Go examine yourself; fix your heart, but don’t come for me with whataboutism arguments just to make yourself feel better about the bone-deep evil you refuse to address and purposefully root out of yourself and your environment.
Last Wednesday was pure evil. Period. What must happen, if the "healing" people say they want is achieved, is for every one of the senators, representatives, governors, mayors, and talking heads who participated in the Big Lie, to publicly come clean about the election. Find a spine, stand up, and tell their constituents and viewers that the election wasn't rigged. It wasn't stolen. There was no fraud. There were no dead people voting; no discarded bunches of ballots.
It's not going to sit well with the people who needed to believe the lie, swallowed the conspiracies, did the instigators' bidding, and are now facing federal charges, and jail time, but it would be a start.
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