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4 for Now
There are a lot of calls for unity right now. A lot of folks, especially white people who are less often victims of division and oppression, are all over this idea. Peace and love! Isn’t that what we want?
Well, yes. But pretending these last four years of open hate, abuse, and terrorism against already marginalized folks didn’t happen, or that it’s all forgivable and there are no consequences, is much more harmful to all of us.
The problem with shaking hands and moving on is that if there are no consequences, we’re going to see the same stuff happen repeatedly. I mean, if you didn’t gain a single pound from eating an entire box of Oreos, you’d do it again, right? (Or is that just me?)
Some of these folks (if not most or even all) know that what they’ve done harms people, but they’ll keep doing it as long as they get away with it. We need to put an end to that. Don’t let slide the politicians who support legislature that is racist, transphobic, sexist, environmentally harmful, etc. Don’t let slide the public figures who call for hate, terrorism, and murder. If we let it happen, we’re complicit.
Besides, what kind of message are we sending to the people we claim to care about who are directly harmed by these actions? You’re telling your trans child their life doesn’t matter. You’re telling your wife her health isn’t her choice. You’re telling your Black coworker you want to watch the cops kill them.
If we shouldn’t be talking about unity and forgiveness, what should we be talking about?
- Holding politicians accountable. All of them. Let your representatives at every level of government know if they’ve done something harmful. They’re supposed to be working for you, not their own or corporate interests.
- Moving forward. Not away from the issues as if they’re settled, but into them to find solutions.
- Recognizing propaganda, gaslighting, and other manipulation for what it is. This one’s hard, I know. I get sucked in, too. But why do you think horrible things keep happening? Those in power and in the media keep us distracted with things (like “reach across the aisle!”) that will keep us running in circles rather than chasing the real issues.
While I’m all for making nice over stupid mistakes or misunderstandings, no one is obligated to approach their abuser and say, “It’s okay that you hurt me or someone I love. Let’s be friends now.” (For those of you who are more enlightened and can forgive them, kudos, but you also know that such forgiveness is for your own benefit, and not theirs.) If they have no interest in being better, more compassionate people, let them whine for their undeserved absolution. We have more important work to do.
4 for Later
- Twitter Thread by Bree Newsome Bass on why we don’t need to seek unity with the right (2-minute read)
- Unity is Great, but Freedom is Better by Anand Giridharadas (9-minute read)
- Twitter Thread by Jared Yates Sexton on how what Trump’s doing is like wrestling (4-5-minute read)
- Video clip of Eddie S. Glaude Jr. addressing “reaching across the aisle” (2-minute video)