How to Deal with the -isms of Today
“I don’t know karate but I damn sure know [k]razy.” –Sheneneh
It’s 2017, you know, the future–the “Jetsons” age; however, a young woman was plowed down at a rally opposing white supremacy, and several people died, and hundreds were injured, in Spain this past week just doing their everyday thing: minding their own business and walking down the street of a marketplace.
The media like to call anything violent that’s connected to “foreigners” “terrorism,” but any act of violence committed by a good old “all-American” (usually a boy)–Timothy McVeigh, Dylann Roof, the police, those of you who voted for Donald Trump based on the “make America great again” premise and build a wall to keep “bad hombres out”–as “domestic” terrorism, or “a random act of violence.”
Is it “domestic” because it’s in-house, or is it “domestic” because you can’t trace the terrorizer to the usual scapegoats: not born in the United States, connected to Islam, and even if he/she is not connected to Islam, that name of his/her sure sounds like it, and skin’s not brown enough to say it was “one of them”?
Terrorism is terrorism–no matter who does it or where it occurs.
Anyone or anything that attempts to mentally, emotionally, socially, economically, and physically harm individuals because they are viewed as “less than,””inferior,” or “insignificant” is a terrorist point blank–no “domestic” needed.
So, when you are–though it is sad to say this in the 21st century–faced with racism, sexism (including harassment and other infractions based on preconceived notions about your gender), genderism, classism, and any other -ism designed to make you feel lower than low, don’t be stunned into silence, or reduced to violence–if it can be helped.
What I want you to do is use your voice…so at the top of your lungs, to draw attention to the clear violation of your human rights, scream:
OH, YOU DID THAT? OKAY, THAT’S WHAT I WANTED YOU TO DO! THAT’S WHAT I WANTED YOU TO DO!
Start walking around in a circle, clapping your hands–applauding their ignorance–and keep in with your chorus: THAT’S WHAT I WANTED YOU TO DO!
Yeah, security may be called and people are going to think you are a raving lunactic, including your terrorizer, but who cares?!
You are going to draw the necessary attention to this wrong that cannot continued to be ignored.
We don’t have to know karate–violence is not always necessary–but we all damn sure need to go a little crazy–fight with our ultimate weapon: our mind.
