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I don't really know what to say about today. Yesterday there was shock and disgust about George Floyd being murdered by police for being a black man. Today it's already pivoted to lots of "condemning the violence" rhetoric, which I think some white people seem relieved has happened so they can condemn the whole thing without looking, you know, overtly racist.
I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in Minneapolis; that geographically-based Mastodon instance I'm on is naturally full not just of news but of people whose grocery runs and prescription pickup are suddenly a lot more complicated, who have to close their windows on sunny warm days against pollution from fires or the police's tear gas. I know some of the businesses damaged are POC-run or serving POC and other low-income communities. Burning grocery stores and pharmacies isn't a great idea at any time but especially during a pandemic. And yet, the white moderates misapplying MLK quotes just show the endemic problem will still be there; some people just want things to go back to normal and they don't care that normal is lethal for people who aren't them.
My friends understand the riots and looting as something the police caused, but some of my friends have friends who seem much more upset at the property damage than the police murdering someone for being black. Somebody reports that Target and Wendy's and AutoZone are trashed and people call that "heartbreaking." Leading me to comment elsewhere "Shit they wouldn't be that sad about an actual lady named Wendy dying unless she was white."
Anyway I've got a historical syntax exam I should be working on (open book, and I've got time but I also didn't pay any attention during the second half of the semester so I've got a lot to catch up on!) so I should get back to that.
I have a lot of friends and acquaintances in Minneapolis; that geographically-based Mastodon instance I'm on is naturally full not just of news but of people whose grocery runs and prescription pickup are suddenly a lot more complicated, who have to close their windows on sunny warm days against pollution from fires or the police's tear gas. I know some of the businesses damaged are POC-run or serving POC and other low-income communities. Burning grocery stores and pharmacies isn't a great idea at any time but especially during a pandemic. And yet, the white moderates misapplying MLK quotes just show the endemic problem will still be there; some people just want things to go back to normal and they don't care that normal is lethal for people who aren't them.
My friends understand the riots and looting as something the police caused, but some of my friends have friends who seem much more upset at the property damage than the police murdering someone for being black. Somebody reports that Target and Wendy's and AutoZone are trashed and people call that "heartbreaking." Leading me to comment elsewhere "Shit they wouldn't be that sad about an actual lady named Wendy dying unless she was white."
Anyway I've got a historical syntax exam I should be working on (open book, and I've got time but I also didn't pay any attention during the second half of the semester so I've got a lot to catch up on!) so I should get back to that.