White "empathy" and Reverse Racism -- What you can do

(Let me preface this: I would love there to be no lines of color. So I will make a promise, that for everyone who promises to read a true story, about a person/people of color, by a person of color. I will read something from the white world with an open mind.)
 

When someone tells me they have "empathy" for people of color. Part of me wants to punch them in the face and scream. Empathy only further acknowledges the fact that we (yeah, I consider myself a person of color. Albeit, mixed. You don't think so, that's your problem) are oppressed and you're "sorry for that." It does not imply that you genuinely care (I worked customer service, I empathize that you waited too long to return something, but really I don't give a fuck) It's kinda like saying "Yeah, dude, that totally sucks...you wanna go grab some coffee" That's not to say it's not appreciated, but you could do more....if you cared. You could pick up a FUCKING BOOK and read a more accurate history of the NDNs, Blacks, Mexicans, etc. THEN maybe you could truly empathize.
 

You say that the anger towards the white washed society is reverse racism. Yet, if it actually was racism, it would be just that: Racism. We are angry, we have, for generations, been indoctrinated to believe that we are not quite equal, that we are less than our white brothers and sisters. That's GENERATIONS of pain, and self-worth slaughter. That's anger, not hate. That's anger at an establishment, and maybe a resentment towards a system. That's not burning crosses in white ppls yards, staring at white ppl just bc they're white, following them around in stores for fear they might steal bc they're white, asking to touch THEIR hair, AND I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE ASKED A WHITE PERSON "SO, HOW MUCH WHITE ARE YOU?" Like he/she was a fucking dog. So yeah, we're a little angry, we're a little tired of hearing about the "Great white hope" that does nothing more than PR. We're tired of hearing about all the tragedies white folks go through, while ours remain Ignored. Please turn your "empathy" to "education" Please understand that 50-100million of my brothers and sisters were slaughtered so y'all could have a "home" Understand the black backs your "home" was built on, and then the subsequent ghettos that were established to keep the freed slaves out of your "home" Learn about the false flag Pearl Harbor attack that led to the encampment of our U.S. CITIZENS of Asian descent brothers and sisters. Please learn so your empathy can have substance.

Pro-peace, Pro-troops, Anti-military

I often find it amusing when there is a pro-peace rally on one corner, and on the other corner is a "Support the troops" rally. When this happens, it is usually accompanied by quite a few stink eyes, a rude remark or two, and a general air of tension. Having once stood with "Veterans for Peace" the Eureka, CA chapter, in their protest (held every friday, at the courthouse, for 1 hour) of the war, it's hard for me to understand how one can't see that the ultimate support of the troops is to be pro-peace. Peace, brings them home, and peace keeps them alive. Allow me to elaborate:

I do not support the military; however, I DO support the individuals who make up our troops. To the individual brothers and sisters currently serving: I am sorry. I am sorry for what you have had to endure, participate in and see. I can never begin to imagine what atrocities you have been exposed to. I am sorry that it's happening not to protect us, but for the most soulless of all reasons: Greed. Not your own, but that of a corrupt government. I am sorry said government values you so little. I love you, I want you home ready to do the very thing you signed up for: Protect us and our freedoms. I thank you for going, so that I would not have to. I, again, am sorry that your true sacrifices aren't addressed; for in that, help could be administered, as I'm sure a lot of you are hurting. I'm sorry that when the financial times at home get tough, the government wants to cut your pay while they put your lives in danger. I'm sorry to your families that never know if they will see you again. I'm sorry our government is a piece of shit. I love you, and I want you home.

However, I cannot and will not stand behind a “war on terror” that is being carried out very similarly to the “War on all non-Christians” from the crusades through Columbus. In which Europe engaged in the “justified” genocide, slavery, and rape of numerous indigenous peoples and claimed those lands as their own. They said it was to “spread the word;” however, we can look back and see the true motivations were actually greed and power. Today, we claim the “terrorists” are 1. nations of crazies that need to be controlled....compared to “heathens and infidels” of 1492 2. Are suffering under the oppression of a cruel and unjust dictatorship, and we must bring to them democracy...compared to uncivilized savages living without Christianity, and we must bring God to them. I am far too Native to support the very thing that wiped out whole tribes of my ancestors.

I am sorry, but please know if I say something negative towards the military, it is directed at that, never to the soldiers. Much like my tree hugging, environmental ways are directed towards corporations and congress with an urge to find a better alternative; not towards loggers/mill workers, but that is another rant.

What if?

What if our food was actually still food? What if more of us knew how to grow our own? What if more of us did?

What if our schools didn't have to have bake sales for text books? What if they taught actual history and not the lies that make us look good? What if our schools focused a little more on education, and a little less on discipline? What if our schools encouraged individuality and paid less attention to a blanket method of teaching? What if sports weren't the MAIN focus in a lot of schools?

What if politicians were paid minimum wage? Would that make them more or less honest? Would it give incentive to change or incentive to cheat? What if they were held accountable for their actions the way they expect to hold us? What if they had to wear the camo and go to war in a hot, hostile, foreign land? What if we stopped listening to them? What if we told them no? What if we told them no together?

Never be afraid to ponder, what if?

We must heal

As a country/society rooted, based, formed, and sustained from war is it any wonder its people are suffering? And the people will continue to suffer so long as we continue to accept this as a way of life. So long as we refuse to, not only talk about it, but to open our minds and listen to each other, really listen. So long as we believe so steadfast in our denial, we can never heal, and if we can't heal how can we expect our children to know any better?

If we don't talk about Indian massacres, slavery, American WWII interment camps, Vietnam and the divide in the people that came with it; if we don't tell the story of history's "losers".....Then we say it never happened, while we hurt on the inside. We stuff our faces with junk/comfort food (leading to obesity), we become alcoholics/addicts, we become depressed, because we are hurting, but we don't know why, because we AREN'T talking about it.

We had generations return from war. Generations that were sent out and ordered to kill. Our fathers, grandfathers, our uncles and brothers were forced to kill....and we didn't talk about. We told them “be men, suck it up” That's a horrible thing to do.....to not honor the sacrifice of self that person gave up for whatever reason....so they live their lives, like nothing happened, except it did. If they remember and it effects them, we discard them, or label them crazy. We throw them away. In some Native cultures when a warrior returned from war, a ceremony would be held for him. Not only in his honor, but also to cleanse him of the atrocities of war, to honor the warriors who had fallen (regardless of which side they fought on) and pray war didn't return. 

The American Indian Movement (AIM) taught its members that a warrior society didn't mean running around acting tough and waging war. A warrior society built up its community to better its people so that when war came, they had something worth fighting for. I think that's pretty powerful....don't you? Something we can take a page from.

Yet war doesn't just affect the men (our warriors). Our mother and grandmothers, sister and aunties were told to be tough for their families, don't cry. There's nothing wrong with being tough, but it has to be balanced with the sweet cleansing that tears can bring. How can you stand strong, when you can't shed the tears breaking you down inside?

With today's pressures (economy, the food issues, the gas prices, the bailouts, the government's epic failure to its people, etc. etc.) piled atop hundreds of years of societal trauma it's no wonder we feel hopeless and depressed, anxious and panicky. Does that mean we need xanax and prozac? No it probably means we need talk to about it, because while our opinions may differ we are not alone, and together we can heal. We can't expect change if we pretend nothing ever went wrong.

The point to my rant? Don't be afraid to cry, to feel nervous/anxious, to panic, or to feel hopeless....because you have to FEEL all of that to know laughter, to know calm, to know safety and to know hope. Together we CAN heal and show our children a better way, instead of pressuring them to figure it out for us, or leave them with our problems AND our way of “dealing” with things. We have to stand up, so our children will know they, too have legs.

Who I am

I am unemployed -- I was "done wrong" by my former employer (I'm sure that will be a rant later) -- I was raised to think for myself -- I was raised to question authority, the tv, the newspaper, my own eyes, etc. -- I was raised to stand for my beliefs -- I am a Libra, injustice (on any level) pisses me off -- Corruption (especially overly blatant corruption) pisses me off -- I AM a Ron Paul supporter -- I support Peace AND the troops -- I am a libertarian -- I'm probably on some ridiculous watch-list -- I support the first amendment -- I support love, peace, compassion AND human rights, civil liberties, an educated populace, and everything that is whole and pure, the good AND bad -- I do NOT support greed, nor do I support the "out for #1" mentality -- I truly believe it takes a village to do anything -- I believe in the circle of life and the ripple effect -- I believe in your opinions, I also believe in challenging them, as I hope you challenge mine -- I believe in respect -- I am a jigsaw-ist (rant to follow at a later date) with pagan leanings -- I believe we are only as intelligent as our own ignorance -- I believe together we can overcome our ignorance and take back our lives -- I believe in spreading love; and with that.....I am an unemployed munchkin....and this is my soapbox. I love you and Thank you for stopping by, I hope we can meet again :)
Love and Chaos xoxo