,
17 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
With My Respects to
"Cunningham Sr., and Jr." - A
Consideration of Mobs and Fear. - August 16 2017, An Essay by Kim Stickrath [Thread]
_
Pondering the scene in
#ToKilIAMockingbird, where Scout diffuses a lynch mob. She sees their anger, fears for the lone man her father --
"Cunningham Sr., and Jr." - A
Consideration of Mobs and Fear. - August 16 2017, An Essay by Kim Stickrath [Thread]
_
Pondering the scene in
#ToKilIAMockingbird, where Scout diffuses a lynch mob. She sees their anger, fears for the lone man her father --
2) standing against
them, and gets between them. She
innocently reminds one of them, Mr.
Cunningham, that her father is in the
process of trying to help him, too.That Mr. Cunningham's son goes to her school, that they play and fight at recess, but that when the little boy was
them, and gets between them. She
innocently reminds one of them, Mr.
Cunningham, that her father is in the
process of trying to help him, too.That Mr. Cunningham's son goes to her school, that they play and fight at recess, but that when the little boy was
3) hungry, she and her family had him over for lunch. That she had tried to protect the pride of Mr. Cunningham's child against the
unintentional shaming he endured because he was too poor to bring lunch to school.
The Cunninghams have little in the way of material things, but
unintentional shaming he endured because he was too poor to bring lunch to school.
The Cunninghams have little in the way of material things, but
4) if one earned their respect, they'd fight tooth and nail to return the favor.
At the moment the older Cunningham is letting his fears and prejudices get the best of him, a little girl reminds him that he is a
human being, a person of great honor, if not great coin. She
At the moment the older Cunningham is letting his fears and prejudices get the best of him, a little girl reminds him that he is a
human being, a person of great honor, if not great coin. She
5) cannot see them as enemies,
Just folks...scared, hurting folks, but folks. She acknowledges their humanity before she acknowledges their anger. I would love to be that good of a soul. It keeps leading to
my own quandary.
I see white nationalism, well any kind of bigotry,
Just folks...scared, hurting folks, but folks. She acknowledges their humanity before she acknowledges their anger. I would love to be that good of a soul. It keeps leading to
my own quandary.
I see white nationalism, well any kind of bigotry,
6) as monstrous and appalling...and
un-human. At the same moment I am sick to my stomach that someone can think so little of someone else because of their
differences that they just want them gone, I am thinking the same thing about the bigots and the haters of the world.
un-human. At the same moment I am sick to my stomach that someone can think so little of someone else because of their
differences that they just want them gone, I am thinking the same thing about the bigots and the haters of the world.
7) I want them gone. With everything I am. With all the love I have for my child. With all the hope I have for a better world. I want them gone.
How can things get better if they stay in our lives? What good can come from having them here? I can't even see their faces when they
How can things get better if they stay in our lives? What good can come from having them here? I can't even see their faces when they
8) are on the news, my brain stops
at the reactive anger of the symbols they carry..of what they represent. I cannot see them as real human beings, only everything loud and terrible on two legs. And the trouble is, this kind of thinking, in its own
way, makes me the monster I
at the reactive anger of the symbols they carry..of what they represent. I cannot see them as real human beings, only everything loud and terrible on two legs. And the trouble is, this kind of thinking, in its own
way, makes me the monster I
9) am trying to fight against. On the upside, I get that. I'm trying, in my own mind, to find a way beyond that. Most don't.
We spend our lives learning labels and
applying them to everything, dividing
ourselves into little cliques, always Us
Against Them. Even those with
We spend our lives learning labels and
applying them to everything, dividing
ourselves into little cliques, always Us
Against Them. Even those with
10) the darkest impulses of humanity are part of Us, just as those who inspire the best are a part of Us.
There are reflections of light and shadow in each of us. All of us seek a place of belonging, and someone to tell us we are doing something right. All of us are trying to
There are reflections of light and shadow in each of us. All of us seek a place of belonging, and someone to tell us we are doing something right. All of us are trying to
11) change things...to be truly heard...to be truly acknowledged.
To change a person's mind, you have to first see them as a person, and then be able to talk to them as a person. These labels, these symbols block that progress. You have to be
able to talk to them like they
To change a person's mind, you have to first see them as a person, and then be able to talk to them as a person. These labels, these symbols block that progress. You have to be
able to talk to them like they
12) are just "folks".
But you have to want to get past the
symbols, the barriers between you. You have to realize that behind the anger and the repeated chants, that someone human is standing before you.
This is the hardest part of being human. Remembering that the bogeymen we
But you have to want to get past the
symbols, the barriers between you. You have to realize that behind the anger and the repeated chants, that someone human is standing before you.
This is the hardest part of being human. Remembering that the bogeymen we
13) create started as something different...something a
lot more like you.
This world doesn't belong to just to me. It belongs to the people that oppose everything I stand for, too. We _all_ live here.
I desperately just want to get past the drama, the labels, the suspicion,
lot more like you.
This world doesn't belong to just to me. It belongs to the people that oppose everything I stand for, too. We _all_ live here.
I desperately just want to get past the drama, the labels, the suspicion,
14) and threats. I just found myself writing "I don't want to see you through your mask, and I don't want you to see me through mine."
But that's the crux of the whole thing, I guess. I really do want to understand why the people who are so angry and so afraid think that's what
But that's the crux of the whole thing, I guess. I really do want to understand why the people who are so angry and so afraid think that's what
15) the world is about. I want them to see all the reasons I have to put that baggage down. Perhaps, that will give them a chance to so the same.
But first I have to look in the mirror, and face down the monster staring back.
But first I have to look in the mirror, and face down the monster staring back.
16)
RELATED LINKS:
5 Doable Ways You Can Change
Racism m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_78…
Reformed Racists: is There Life After Hate for Former White - PBS
pbs.org/independentlen…
Meet the Black Blues Musician Who
Befriended the KKK thedailybeast.com/meet-the-black…
RELATED LINKS:
5 Doable Ways You Can Change
Racism m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_78…
Reformed Racists: is There Life After Hate for Former White - PBS
pbs.org/independentlen…
Meet the Black Blues Musician Who
Befriended the KKK thedailybeast.com/meet-the-black…
