The reason for the #BlackLivesMatter chant/slogan/movement is never more obvious than in a case like that of Ralph Yarl, a teenager who just knocked on the wrong door and was shot twice (he survived)...and the police have released the individual who shot him pending investigation.
When a Black kid can't knock on a door without fear of being shot, even killed, then we need to be able to say *BLACK* lives matter, because it's Black lives on the line daily for no goddamn reason.
When someone sees a Black boy at the door and the first thing they do is grab a gun...we need to be able to say BLACK LIVES MATTER.
White people, this is why we need to stop letting other white people get away with casual racism in our presence. It's already wrong as hell, but honestly we need to shame people for these attitudes because thinking their neighbors and the people they interact with agree with them is what encourages people to boldly commit violence.
The phenomenon I'm specifically thinking of is when white men walk up to other white men and say racist shit unprompted. Happens with white women too, but based on the experiences of a few men in my life, there seems to be a specific thing white men do with other white men to make themselves feel supported:
Making off-hand racist comments to men who are working in a service capacity such as retail.
This way, in addition to the social conditioning to not rock the boat or cause a scene, it's also an uneven power dynamic and their target feels like they are not able to respond because their employer expects them to play nice, no exceptions.
And so, they usually either get an enthusiastic response or a non-response and very rarely receive strong opposition if they get any push back at all. And they get to then pretend that everyone agrees with them.
At which point I think it's no shock that these folks will commit acts of aggression and violence that ought to earn them the rightful hate of their neighbors. They spend their days reassuring themselves that they are surrounded by like-minded folks.
So acting shocked and *disgusted* by that stuff has got to be the way to go, right? Not even anger is as good a response as disgust. Shame is one of the most powerful social controls out there, and it should be employed liberally.
Don't let racists feel bold enough to think their violent behavior will be justified, even lauded, by society. Make them fucking afraid that they will be shunned and rejected at every turn if they act on it in any way.
Make them fucking hide. Make them scared to even *say* shit *let alone* enact violence.
Overcoming social conditioning about "politeness" doesn't happen overnight, so it's probably worth practicing a response to prepare.
My sister is good at the "acting confused" response where you ask for clarification while acting as though they couldn't POSSIBLY mean the bigoted thing they said. This is awkward af for them. Their little game depends on unspoken agreement and acceptance without spelling out the whole meaning.
In an unbalanced situation like that of a retail worker, this can also help avoid the negative consequences from an employer. You weren't antagonizing the customer...you were just confused
They will ASSUME your agreement if you are white, and it's our job to make the opposite very clear.
I know this thing might seem tangential, but I really do think there would be a lot less racist violence if we actually made sure our white racist neighbors know that they are NOT supported, NOT accepted, NOT protected.
This is why there is no "sit down at the table and talk nicely" option. We have to let them know that there is no talking nicely or "understanding" their side of things.
I mean there's got to be a reason a man can open the door and straight up shoot a kid, right? He's got to feel totally justified, right? He's got to feel quite confident of his actions.
Make them ashamed and scared of what other white people will do and think. Make them feel alone.
Artemis
Lu