Everything is Awesome in America

A thing happened yesterday. As I was scrolling though Facebook, I saw a comment regarding gender inequality and racism in America. This gentleman said that women and minorities “have it way better than they did 50 years ago” and that gender and race issues just don’t exist today. Now, I should really know better by now than to argue with people who subscribe to this kind of warped thinking. Nothing I say will convince them that just because slavery is illegal, and women and African Americans can vote, doesn’t mean things are OK. It doesn’t mean we’re done.

I made a comment anyway. What happened next was a series of insane, irrelevant gaslighting tactics that left me angry, and quite honestly, baffled. I had about 5 different people rapid fire commenting, antagonizing, and jonesing for a response. They pounced like greedy, wild eyed trolls, out for blood. When my initial irritation (turned anger) dissipated, I realized, “fuck this”. This kind of interaction will result in nothing but a waste of my time, which is too limited and precious as it is. I mean, these people were talking about finance, how wonderful their family is at their jobs, and how democrats are “intellectually bankrupt”, and not one of them addressed the fact that racism is still a very prevalent factor in this country. Ultimately, I decided to let them know that I would not be attempting to debate 5 different people (none of whom I even know, though my father somehow does) who weren’t interested in hearing what I had to say anyway. I was told it was preferable that if I am “unable to engage and defend” my views, that I should “refrain from injecting comments in the first place”. To be clear, I am not unable, I was just unwilling. There was no reason to waste my time, and allow multiple people to try to tear me down by not even addressing my original concern; racism. To claim that racism is just “alternative facts” or “made up by the democrats” is completely insane.

Some facts (that they so desperately wanted to debate) are that African Americans are 2X as likely to be unemployed than whites, or that Black students are 3X more likely than White students to be suspended for the SAME INFRACTIONS. Or, that Blacks make up 13% of the population, but 40% of the prison population because White people are 20% less likely to be sentenced jail time and even when they are, serve shorter sentences for similar crimes. Blacks are almost twice as likely to be pulled over as whites, and more likely to be searched following the stop. The list of proof goes on and on and on.

Racism is ALIVE AND WELL in America, and older White dudes who pretend it’s “alternative facts”, instead of recognizing the systemic injustice of our society are not worth my time. No one cares that you were “team quarterback” 40 years ago if you are an ego inflated twit now.

Bath time for the children...more later on how awesome it is to be a woman.