Where in the World did our World Go?

 

So here we are half the way through another Black History month, and yet another unsatisfactory impeachment trial in the rear view. I have some thoughts on that for another post, so stay tuned. In the meantime, this is something that I leave you, the gentle reader, to ponder. At the core of this missive, is a more moral question; do you think live in a country blighted by racism or is it all media generated noise? lease be sure to share your comments...I look forward to reading them.

Before I dive in, a brief disclaimer; the info I am sharing with you is taken directly from a popular gay social media site. It has in no way been altered, or modified, other than to fit the confines of the illustration used to direct attention to what is the heart of this issue. To define “who is who” within the conversation, my responses are in orange, the messages of the other individual involved are in white: just as they appeared in the original message stream. With that said... 

Do the dance of
social networking

In these days of a global pandemic, social interaction has been almost nonexistent. For someone who, like myself, thrives on the energy gained by an in-person interaction. Since the novel COVID-19 virus has crippled this activity, most social interaction has been relegated to cyberspace. However, many of those interacting through social media outlets are taking the opportunity of implied anonymity and choosing to use these outlets to strike out at others with the venom of racism, sexism, misogyny, elitism and almost any other kind of injustice imaginable. Case in point; the illustration here.

What began as a simple, innocuous conversation that included my referring to watching an episode of “American Dad” while conversing, quickly took on another tone when, completely without provocation, the individuals I was chatting with typed…

The conversation...

“yeah, I’m killing you before you kill me

Without missing a beat, I shot back an inquiry asking what was meant by that statement and was it a threat of some kind. My question was met with silence. And here, days later, still not a word.

In the current climate of our country today, as a person of color, such statements are certainly considered inflammatory at the least. And while this comment is more distressing than others I have received, it is the sheer fact that someone would have the audacity to make such a statement in the first place. Fear of retribution by the individual the statement is directed at or from the site administration upon which the statement was made, does nothing to thwart an individual from making such a statement. A blank or fictitious profile attached to the messaging application do little to locate an individual making such a statement. And yet, on a regular and consistent basis, such statements are made without concern by the individuals making them.

Racism: does it make you cry?

So, in my mind it raised several questions, especially regarding a post-COVID society. Can we

expect to see an upsurge of violence against individuals perpetrated by these individuals who feel it is okay to make defaming, derogatory, and threatening statements in cyberspace. I have noted that since the pandemic has been at its peak, there have been a number of statements directed at myself, and other people of color insinuating that somehow because of our “race mixing” with non-people of color, that somehow we are the root of the virus’ origin. Absurd? Certainly, not to mention offensive. The be degraded to a lesser human whose interactions with those of a race that many consider to be superior, adding the factor that our doing so was a calculated move to further destroy the white race.

It should be noted that the virus has been responsible for a disproportionate number of people of color make this argument even more ludicrous. Yet there are individuals who feel it is okay to make such statements, not just to individuals such as myself on social media platforms, but rather in chat rooms that cater to those who subscribe to conspiracy theories and the like. As we witnessed last month in Washington DC, when a countless number of insurgents stormed the US Capital, allegedly at the behest of former president Trump, the world saw firsthand what the repetition of a falsehood or inconclusive rhetoric can inflame a group into action like those on January 6^th.

Never give out either!

So once the scourge of this virus is behind up, what happens next? Will we go back to the polite, and measured conversations about race and racist views go back up on the shelf? Will the “wide berth” given when passing someone not of color on the street still be a reflex of the social distancing prescribed by the virus? Or will there be a further upsurge in the already growing tract of individuals choosing to express their unpopular views of race containment and white supremacy? Unless we take a stand, it could very well be the scenario we will be facing.

I for one am choosing to be proactive and doing what I can to cut off the spread of this kind of vitreous language. I do not fear this individual, because he has chosen to hide his identity behind the veil of internet anonymity. We all have a choice; stand for something or fall for anything. I choose to stand.