Battling bigotry in the Trump era
Posted by Louie Drake on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 Under: Politics
After Donald J. Trump’s surprising win, many are now worried – with good reason – that witnessing racist acts everywhere might become our new normal. He did, after all, make hate and discrimination the main components of his election campaign.
A day after his election, reports of racist verbal and physical attacks were reported on social media by Hijabis, women of color, and blacks, including children. One Muslim girl got mugged, another was threatened with a knife. Still another had her hijab pulled off by a white man, almost choking her. A Latina-looking woman heard a stranger taunting her about Trump’s wall. Children of Hispanic descent were shown “deportation letters” by their white classmates at school.
How do we react to racist and xenophobic behaviors if they are happening right in front of us? It is not entirely insensible to just walk past the scene, to not care and go about your day. If you are not a target, it will most probably keep you safe. But perhaps we should take note that it is precisely apathy that got the American people into this tragedy. If we are to solve these very real problems that many of us ignored, some things need to be done, and they require getting out of our comfort zones.
If someone insults our fellow human being, we should speak up. A sense of others accepting the situation might further embolden the racists among us, which would encourage them to do it regularly.
Others advise against this, though, saying that these attackers might get their high from the attention. Ignoring them and focusing on the vulnerable person, for instance, a woman wearing a headscarf on the subway and getting them into a conversation, might be a better idea. I say we decide based on the situation. The attacker may leave when ignored completely, or escalate the violence.
When this happens, it is important to document the scene. Whether or not you will do it discreetly would also depend on the attacker. Sometimes, warning them that you are filming the incident and showing it to the police might deter them from doing more harm. But they may also snatch it from you or ask you to delete the file. Again, it depends on whether you think you are going to be safe, physically. If they are a group, you may want to announce, with a clear and loud voice, to a crowd of people what is happening.
Take care, everyone!
Author's Note: This is a guest blog post by Richard Kimball, a devoted philanthropist whose only goal is to share brighter horizons with our brothers and sisters who live in war-torn and poverty-stricken areas. In partnership with a myriad of organizations, he wants to continue touching the lives of those who don’t have access to food, education, and health care. For more on him, visit his Twitter and LinkedIn pages.
A day after his election, reports of racist verbal and physical attacks were reported on social media by Hijabis, women of color, and blacks, including children. One Muslim girl got mugged, another was threatened with a knife. Still another had her hijab pulled off by a white man, almost choking her. A Latina-looking woman heard a stranger taunting her about Trump’s wall. Children of Hispanic descent were shown “deportation letters” by their white classmates at school.
How do we react to racist and xenophobic behaviors if they are happening right in front of us? It is not entirely insensible to just walk past the scene, to not care and go about your day. If you are not a target, it will most probably keep you safe. But perhaps we should take note that it is precisely apathy that got the American people into this tragedy. If we are to solve these very real problems that many of us ignored, some things need to be done, and they require getting out of our comfort zones.
If someone insults our fellow human being, we should speak up. A sense of others accepting the situation might further embolden the racists among us, which would encourage them to do it regularly.
Others advise against this, though, saying that these attackers might get their high from the attention. Ignoring them and focusing on the vulnerable person, for instance, a woman wearing a headscarf on the subway and getting them into a conversation, might be a better idea. I say we decide based on the situation. The attacker may leave when ignored completely, or escalate the violence.
When this happens, it is important to document the scene. Whether or not you will do it discreetly would also depend on the attacker. Sometimes, warning them that you are filming the incident and showing it to the police might deter them from doing more harm. But they may also snatch it from you or ask you to delete the file. Again, it depends on whether you think you are going to be safe, physically. If they are a group, you may want to announce, with a clear and loud voice, to a crowd of people what is happening.
Take care, everyone!
Author's Note: This is a guest blog post by Richard Kimball, a devoted philanthropist whose only goal is to share brighter horizons with our brothers and sisters who live in war-torn and poverty-stricken areas. In partnership with a myriad of organizations, he wants to continue touching the lives of those who don’t have access to food, education, and health care. For more on him, visit his Twitter and LinkedIn pages.
In : Politics
