As the folks over at Bitefart and other right winngut outlets continue to demonize the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, you have to wonder what it is that they are so afraid of. The latest is a scurrilous lie and false characterization of an entire movement by taking the actions of a few folks on twitter as something that is representative of the entire group. Personally, I take everything that these clowns report about with a grain of salt, but even if true, it is not a true representation of how black activist feel about the tragedy that took place in Paris, France.
I have seen thousands of tweets and essays from black activists and bloggers showing support for the people of Paris and offering condolences to those who lost loved ones. Unfortunately you would never know this from reading right -wing blogs or watching FOX VIEWS.
Anyway, I saw a wonderful essay from a member of my twitter family that I think might be instructive for some of you who are on the outside looking in.
"What comes to mind when you think of the word “freedom?
Personally, I think of two different things: There’s freedom as liberation, the basic human right to be your authentic self and live your life without fear of violence or persecution.
Then there’s the idea of “freedom” as a tenet of the faulty “American Dream.” You know, the kind of rhetoric spewed on media outlets like Fox News, telling us that we’re lucky to live in the US, the land of the free. Telling us who to fear – namely, Arab Muslims whose “barbaric” traditions threaten our liberties. Telling us that “political correctness” has gone awry, trying to take away our freedom of speech
Right now, this very rhetoric is being used to ridicule activists fighting for freedom as liberation.
Here’s what’s happening. We’ve been rocked by two major events in our world.
On a global scale, the devastating attacks in Paris have left 140 people dead and many more injured and traumatized by unfathomable terror.
And here at home, activists of color on college campuses across the country are protesting having to live in fear with incidents like racist threats of violence at the University of Missouri.
It’s hard to know how to react in moments like these. I wish I could shut off the world around me and just be human. After all, it’s only human to grieve, to learn of the horrific things the people in Paris went through and mourn for the lost and shattered lives of the victims, their families, and communities.
And it’s only human to feel enraged for the students of color too afraid to step outside of their dorm rooms on a campus where the administration dismisses their fears.
I can hold both these feelings within me and know that one doesn’t diminish the validity of the other. But when it comes to expressing these emotions, every response feels heavy with implications." [More]
Well said Maisha, it is always nice to read the words of a young writer who can state their position in such an honest and heartfelt way.
Contrast this with the folks at Britefart, whose only goal in life seems to be to divide and profit from the division that they create. So far, I am sad to say, their plan is working.
*Pic from AP and everydayfeminism.com
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