My heart is heavy as we continue to grieve the loss of life as the result of the horrific hate crime in Atlanta last Tuesday. I’m feeling helpless and powerless; I’m feeling extra aware of my own privilege in that I don’t have to worry about being gunned down because of my race. There’s so much here to unpack – like the dehumanization of Asian women as a tenant of white supremacy. Dehumanization is a theme throughout the history of racism, and that’s been amplified throughout this pandemic. The flawed thought process = Covid-19 originated in China = Asian Americans are the cause of my hardship = bold, racist acts against Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Here’s an article and a podcast with more info on the topic:
We Must Confront Anti–Asian American Hate Crimes – The Atlantic
The Anti Asian Violence That Came Before The Atlanta Shooting : Code Switch : NPR
Ultimately, it comes down to a key topic in my mind: gun control. I’m not here to argue that no one should have a gun (I’m from MN where everyone partakes in deer hunting) or everyone should have a gun. But, something that we should all be paying attention to is the fact that the killer in the Atlanta shooting purchased his gun on the same day that he committed the murders, AND in Georgia, you cannot submit your ballot on the same day you register to vote. Why on Earth are we pursuing stricter voter suppression laws while ignoring the lack of controls around gun procurement? Step one: be aware of these discrepancies!
#powertoprivilege #stopasianhate #courageousconversations
Think about it,
Jessica