Too many people are asking for a lot of social change these days. They're likely not going to get it and they certainly don't deserve it. Not because things shouldn't change these days--at least in America--but because you're not going to get chocolate ice cream if you keep demanding cheesecake.
Let's not stop trying to change the system, but change our demands (you can skip ahead for the TLDR if you want):
Defund the police--Please don't defund the police. We need an organization of trustworthy individuals who work to protect and serve. The problem is, even according to the Supreme Court, that's not what the police actually are supposed to do. How about we fund REAL police? Unless Demolition Man becomes real, they don't need tanks. They should not be shooting dogs, minorities, or the disabled or raping women and they should be stoping the KKK, not recruiting them. To anyone with a working brain, none of that should be anything close to what police do. How are we going to have a decent police force if we don't pay them? Don't they need money to screen applicants, train them better than they do now, and give them non-lethal ways to handle dangerous situations? How about we REFORM the police? Or have REAL police? REDO the police. Hell, REBOOT the police. That's a reboot I'd actually want to see.
Reparations-- My ancestors fought against the Confederacy. Many were from the North, but some in the South decided they didn't like which side of their house the Mason-Dixon line was drawn by people who never asked their opinion about it or anything else leading up to the Civil War. I live in a state that never allowed slaves. As I'm writing this, I'm not yet forty. Not even my late grandparents owned slaves and they were against the idea of it (my maternal grandfather made some black friends in the army and he didn't like any of the 'black people use different shops or water fountains or the back door' stuff either). Exactly what do I personally have to do about reparations? Or anyone these days, especially people who know it's a horrible idea on paper, let alone in reality? Nothing. But that doesn't mean black people or other ethnic minorities don't need help. There are way too many problems they face, from education to nutrition to healthcare and so on. These problems DO need to be addressed and fixed. This word might actually be accurate, but what is repaired isn't directly about slavery anymore, and teaching and explaining that is important to everyone.
Allies-- What color is my skin? Do you have a clue what sexual or romantic preferences I have? Am I disabled, yes or no? What pronouns do I use? What is my biological sex? Do any of these matter? Why? For the most part, they shouldn't. But I've been told I should be ashamed my great Uncle was racist when he put high-ranking Nazis on trial. Why? Because he was white and white people are automatically racist. I've been banned from a very popular discord server for asking about help on writing heterosexual smut (after years of mentioning writing gay couples as well as polyamory). so here's what I'm wondering. The person who banned me claimed to represent four thousand fanfiction writers. Four thousand people said they don't want heterosexual (or at least PERCEIVED heterosexual) writers who want to be treated civilly and equally (yes, I asked if I'd be treated equally if roles were reversed and I was told not at all). So why should I or anyone else who writes heterosexual anything be an ally to those who write LGBTQ? Or people who ARE LGBTQ if those who represent them advocate a shadowban purely for asking, let alone writing if they don't treat people they THINK are in the majority shouldn't be treated the same? In all honesty, they don't if they let their leaders say that. Both for refusing to stand up and protest even slightly, even on a blog less than a dozen people read like this one, and for not knowing what the word 'ally' means. It does not mean putting you on a pedestal; it means both sides help each other.
TLDR: The problem all of these (and more that use proper language) is that any have forgotten the root of the issue, which isn't changing words around for better and more modern catchphrases: equality. Equality is not the equivalent of 'four legs good, two legs better' and never has been. You don't need to know if I'm a black, rich, non-binary or an elderly Asian lady with AIDS, or a clever dog who learned to type. Save for the dog, we all have equal rights. Needing welfare to keep from starving or extra medical care to keep from dying or education on current events or history is necessary, but it doesn't make anyone superior.
If you MUST know about me, I'm mainly of Irish descent, with my ancestors having a long history of being forced to move somewhere else because someone else took their land and money. the Irish were not considered 'white' until the 1900's when 'no Irish need apply' went out of style in favor of discriminating purely against blacks, hispanics, and Asians. I have some French and German in me from poor merchants and hessians, just looking for a job and a roof. All my ancestors were against slavery of any kind and for women's rights as far as I can find. I am married to a man of minority racial status and that's all you're going to get for a while. As for sexual or romantic preference, all you need to know is that I don't hook up through blogs or twitter; you'll have to find me in person to hit on me. Last, as far as pronouns go: I don't play that game. Use whatever you want that isn't in a derogatory sentence.
As for any groups, minority or majority: what do I care? I judge you on whether or not you're an asshole or not. You be you and let me be me. Cheers.
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