White people are the problem.
There are probably other, lesser, takeaways from this election, too.
There are probably other, lesser, takeaways from this election, too.
The question is, what could possibly shock white people enough to turn away from our nation's foundational lies, rooted in white supremacy?
Being abandoned to die in a global pandemic won't do it.
The active dismantling of democracy in broad daylight won't do it
What, then?
Being abandoned to die in a global pandemic won't do it.
The active dismantling of democracy in broad daylight won't do it
What, then?
Active threats to national security? Nope.
Praising murderous dictators? Nope.
The demolition of our global standing in the world? Nope.
A trade war that decimates the farming industry? Nope.
Trillion dollar tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of working people? Nope.
Praising murderous dictators? Nope.
The demolition of our global standing in the world? Nope.
A trade war that decimates the farming industry? Nope.
Trillion dollar tax cuts to billionaires at the expense of working people? Nope.
Four years of non-leadership from an embarrassingly ignorant reality TV pretend rich guy? Nope.
Police brutality in every major city? Actually makes us white people feel safer.
OK, what if the opposition nominates a candidate designed to assuage the fears of white people? Nope.
Police brutality in every major city? Actually makes us white people feel safer.
OK, what if the opposition nominates a candidate designed to assuage the fears of white people? Nope.
OK, how about Nazis? Literal Nazis in the streets marching under your shared banner of conservatism? Nope.
The President refusing to condemn them? Nope.
Using their exact phrases? Nope.
Hiring some? Nope.
Telling them *in a nationally televised debate* to "stand by"? Nope.
The President refusing to condemn them? Nope.
Using their exact phrases? Nope.
Hiring some? Nope.
Telling them *in a nationally televised debate* to "stand by"? Nope.
A Senior Advisor mocking the Statue of Liberty? Nope.
Calling a war hero a loser? Nope.
What about engaging in a grotesque feud with a hero of the Civil Rights Movement? Nope.
OK, two heroes of the Civil Rights Movement? Three? Many? Nope, nope nope.
Calling a war hero a loser? Nope.
What about engaging in a grotesque feud with a hero of the Civil Rights Movement? Nope.
OK, two heroes of the Civil Rights Movement? Three? Many? Nope, nope nope.
How about a feud with the widow of a fallen soldier? Nope.
The parents of a fallen soldier? Nope.
Calling the World War I dead 'losers' and refusing to honor them? Nope.
Active energized celebration of the Confederacy? Nope.
Calling the press "the enemy of the people?" Nope.
The parents of a fallen soldier? Nope.
Calling the World War I dead 'losers' and refusing to honor them? Nope.
Active energized celebration of the Confederacy? Nope.
Calling the press "the enemy of the people?" Nope.
Constantly whining like a little fucking baby about every tiny attack to his ego as events of great import and consequence went whizzing, totally uncomprehended, past his enormous sagging rotted melon of a head, as if he were a child doodling on a paper restaurant menu?
Nope.
Nope.
Discovering that he had known all along how bad the pandemic was, how it spread, how infectious, how deadly, and told his investors and donor but went out and lied to us every day, even after we knew better, even now, even today?
Nope.
Nope.
Did 50,000 dead shock us white people out of our love for their foundational lies? Nope.
100,000? Nope.
200,000? Nope.
Will a million do it?
Friends. 10 million won't do it. Nothing will do it.
White people: we ARE the problem.
Know it. Confess it. Repent it. Repair it.
100,000? Nope.
200,000? Nope.
Will a million do it?
Friends. 10 million won't do it. Nothing will do it.
White people: we ARE the problem.
Know it. Confess it. Repent it. Repair it.
What's amazing is how there's always an excuse.
He never actually said the thing he said.
By "he," I don't just mean Trump.
He never actually said the thing he said.
By "he," I don't just mean Trump.
Or he didn't mean the thing he said, he meant something else.
Or no the thing he's doing won't actually have the harmful result he promised it would.
Or ok yes it did have that effect but he didn't intend it to.
And by "he," I don't just mean Trump.
Or no the thing he's doing won't actually have the harmful result he promised it would.
Or ok yes it did have that effect but he didn't intend it to.
And by "he," I don't just mean Trump.
And you might be thinking, "hey, I'm white and it DID shock me out of my complacency! I'm not the problem!"
Or you might be thinking, "hey, I'm white and I wasn't complacent even BEFORE Trump! I'm not the problem!"
This misses the point.
Or you might be thinking, "hey, I'm white and I wasn't complacent even BEFORE Trump! I'm not the problem!"
This misses the point.
Your individual personal choice matters, and we should hope to make good ones. This isn't a matter of individual personal choice.
It's about the way we've built our society, and how it works for white people, and how it works, or often doesn't work, for other people.
By design.
It's about the way we've built our society, and how it works for white people, and how it works, or often doesn't work, for other people.
By design.
If you're white like me, you operate within this society in ways you can't extricate yourself from.
It will work for you the way it does whether you think it should or not.
What you can do is notice how the system works, and confess it, then repent it, then repair it.
It will work for you the way it does whether you think it should or not.
What you can do is notice how the system works, and confess it, then repent it, then repair it.
And one easy part of the confession can be to observe a massive surge of voters come out for the most awful, damaging, embarrassing, shambles of a president—who just so happens to be an open white supremacist, and say:
White people are the problem right now.
White people are the problem right now.
If you are a white person who would align against the problem, I've good news.
You don't actually have to convince Trump people of the truth.
Because of the way white supremacy works in our culture, if you confess white supremacy, you confess it for them too—and they know it.
You don't actually have to convince Trump people of the truth.
Because of the way white supremacy works in our culture, if you confess white supremacy, you confess it for them too—and they know it.
Because of the automatic inextricable way white supremacy works in our culture, if you repent it, or pay the cost to repair it, you do it for them too—and they *know* it.
They know.
They know.
That's why they get so angry at confessions of injustice.
That's why they want you to waste your time instead, convincing them.
"Change my mind," says the man who has decided not to change his mind.
That's why they want you to waste your time instead, convincing them.
"Change my mind," says the man who has decided not to change his mind.
I've written a bit this year, about knowing, and confession, and repentance, and reparation.
It's my acknowledgement and my confession, I guess, of a country I'd failed to see.
If you're interested, this is some of it. armoxon.com/2020/10/street…
It's my acknowledgement and my confession, I guess, of a country I'd failed to see.
If you're interested, this is some of it. armoxon.com/2020/10/street…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
