Not my first run-in with white terrorists

in #life8 years ago (edited)

Fun fact: The KKK is painting swastikas and K's all over my town, especially along the darkest curves of the running/walking paths. These are exciting times!

I'll be employing the buddy system for all walks from now on. I've been here before. People like to scoff and choke on their oatmeal laughing when I say I've been terrorized by white people. It's like they forget America has a long-standing white terror group that lynches non-whites and burns crosses on their lawns. They also leave flyers on your doorstep, mail letters to your father with all the names of your family members listed inside and the promise that "you're next."

Terror is more than setting off bombs. It can be a slow process of cultivating fear using hate tactics. That's how I grew up. 3/4 times I answered the phone it was someone breathing heavily and saying, "You niggers are gonna die." Okay, sometimes it was "Go back to where you came from, nigger!"

When a cross was burned on our neighbors' lawn and their father was held at gunpoint and beaten (they had the misfortune of being darker-skinned than we were), we moved. You know, because we liked being alive and physically unharmed. Unfortunately, we couldn't move far and the terrorists just passed our info on to the branch closest to us. The harassment continued with no help from the police because, wait for it, they thought we should "go back to where we came from."

Fun fact #2: Only one member of my family was not born in the United States. The immigrant came from a country that had dual citizenship, was raised worshipping American cowboy culture and speaking English. Um, we were at home. We were where we, by rights, belonged. But terrorists are terrorists.

As a child, I learned to never go anywhere alone, which neighbors would answer the door if I was being followed, to ignore racial epithets, to stay down when I was tripped in the halls, which teacher in the school building would offer me a place to wait until the gangs of kids waiting to pinch, punch, push me down and mock my skin color left. I learned to speak quietly, if at all. I learned all the rules and how to follow them. And I also learned that it wasn't okay for me to be the smartest in my school because that place was reserved for a white child which means I learned how to play just dumb enough to pass. I learned to slide down in my seat in the car when we drove through KKK territory, my body covered by a sheet so the men on motorcycles couldn't spot me easily. I learned that staying out of the sun and wearing glasses hide the most obvious of my differences.

I still know how fortunate I am. I survived. None of the homes I lived in were burned down even if they were repeatedly defaced. I made it. The culture shifted for a time. Then 9/11. Now the emboldened rise of white supremacy.

Why do these groups gain power? The number one reason is because people scoff and choke on their oatmeal or cry racism when anyone says the words "white" and "terrorist" together. Everyone knows you can't be white and a terrorist unless your an Islamic sympathizer. Right? That's what the media said. The only other white people who do bad things are mentally ill. And the KKK? They're just a bunch of blanket-wearing kooks OR they are the righteous voice of a return to America's cultural legacy which is (spoiler alert) based on supreme white reign over people of color. The real terrorists are the people of color who gather together and say no.

Here's my opinion: terrorism is enacted through any combination of physical or psychological violence, especially when it is ongoing.

I believe in peaceful protest. Give me a round table. Let's have a conversation. In it, let's not deny the experiences of groups (or individuals) based on assumptions of (gasp!) racial supremacy. Because, dude, if you think white people can't be racist because they are white, you're a white supremacist. You are categorically denying the history of oppression of every other group based on their non-whiteness.

Nope.

All people have stories. All people face justice and injustice. Unfortunately, many groups face greater ratios of injustice due to institutionalized and media-perpetuated bias.

How can we combat this?

Talk to people about differences and life experiences. Don't scoff and choke--get curious. Assumptions are the bane of civilization and the logical mind. You have the power to make positive change, but it requires humility. It may be you who needs to change.

Stay open, ask questions and be kind. Offer to be a buddy for someone of color so they can move safely through town. Oh, and help paint over some of the KKK tags around town. You've got this!

images via pixabay.com

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Bogus hate crimes spike around country - here's video proof -

Conspiracy theories? I enjoy them but based on my personal experience I tend to be cautious. Lots of organization around the country for peaceful protest and buddy systems for targeted POC just in case.

I have been truly blessed that I did not grow up around this kind of hate. Fortunately for all, it is not going on everywhere. There are peaceful, loving places.

I believe in a future of love, where this kind of thing just won't be a thing anymore. I believe the change will occur because we will teach our children to love others, delight in diversity, and abolish child abuse.

I'm willing to bet those swastika artists all had abusive upbringings. That kind of intolerance and hate does not come from a happy, well adjusted childhood. We can almost pity them the misery they keep themselves in, for happiness can only come from love.

I have so much respect for anyone who has risen above this hate and given a hand of love to the world. Thanks for an interesting and informative post!

Here the government is deleting the word 'foreigner' because it's stigmatizing :-P
No KKK bullshit around here!

Where do you live?

I find deleting that word . . . odd. I live in the U.S. but sadly I have a stalker and I can't say where.

Fun fact: The KKK is painting swastikas and K's all over my town, especially along the darkest curves of the running/walking paths. These are exciting times!

And no photos to prove this "fun fact"?

Real photos would really add to the story! ;)

Exactly. I'm not advocating that racism isn't a reality in today's world but, if someone is going to claim themselves as a victim and write an article claiming so... then I want to see some proof!
Not some hog-wash story trying to legitimize and push some false narrative.

I thought about this. Since I have a stalker, I can't post photos from where I am. But you can look it up to find photos from plenty of places in the U.S. Not sure how you feel about BuzzFeed, but here's one article: https://www.buzzfeed.com/tamerragriffin/kkk-and-leave-niggers-spray-painted-on-eastern-michigan-univ?utm_term=.lb2BwDqeZ#.ppZbwL31v

Here's a piece from the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/09/21/students-protest-after-kkk-and-racial-slur-are-found-spray-painted-on-campus-wall/

Here's one in Indiana although not sure post or pre-election: http://www.stltoday.com/news/national/govt-and-politics/hate-speech-goes-mainstream-amid-bitter-presidential-campaign/article_f5d16abc-0cf8-583c-a51d-065256352f2e.html

Can't do anything about you thinking my narrative is hogwash. The point was to share ways people can be supportive in case of POC targeting. Maybe focus there?

I Googled it. I found a news article about the town. I won't post it because she says she's in danger. But the news article didn't look like it was happening all over town like she said. But people are angry right now so I understand the exaggerating. :(

Ok???
Maybe it's just me and my hangover from last night is effecting my cognitive abilities...
Alright, from what I've gathered so far... we know this "victim" now lives in this certain town...
we know this "victim" was followed/stalked to this town from a previous town...
which we can now safely assume the "stalker" already knows the "victims" identity and location.
I mean, jesh... they've been spray painting hate around the town like a drunken vandal letting the "victim" know (que up Poltergeist meme)
"THEY'RE BAACCKKKK"!!!!!!
But yet, the "victim" writing this story can't, or won't, post pictures of this "racist graffiti" proving their claim of this story to help legitimize it... due to that fact it may disclose their location to the stalker and jeopardizing their safety and/or life.

BUT WAIT THERE's MORE!
NOW we've got @supergoodliving stepping up to the plate announcing that they've successfully Googled... without doubt, the exact location of this mysterious town, based only on the given information from this post, which everyone is mysteriously trying to keep this town a "secret"!!! WHAT??? lol

Sorry... BS all over this one! And I'm done wasting my time.

I don't know what you mean. Do you think I'm part of this?

Not sure if these clarifications will help: The towns from my childhood where my family was harassed by the KKK and my current town as an adult are not the same. The stalker is internet-based but does know where I currently live which is why I can't post pictures identifying my location or otherwise obviously attaching this account to myself directly. I have written quite a lot about the stalker situation here. I'm not crying victim. I'm saying I've survived a few things and based on that experience, here's how you can help others do the same.

I absolutely get what you're saying about wanting proof. I forgot for a minute that Steemit is all about the verification or I probably would have chosen not to share this. The goal wasn't to incite. It was to share personal experience and a few tips for how others can be good community members to POC who may be targeted.

It's entirely possible you could Google my town. I appreciate @supergoodliving not posting my location here. This is the one place I have yet to be tracked by this stalker and since I've written about my situation here, I'd really like to keep it that way. Attaching my name to this will put me in danger.

I'm not asking anyone to invest themself in my story. You can believe it or not. The tips remain the same as they are based in common sense--when you see someone is in danger, those are ways you can help. You don't have to be a POC to be in danger.

do you arm yourself? ..with more than a phone call?

We had a rifle growing up. I have a camping knife, but I do not arm myself, no. Not yet.

Bunch of cunts. Existence of such groups is a disgrace to human race.

I agree. I wish we could practice more kindness in the face of difference in place of fear and hate.

I find it odd that people will believe any old crap at face value they find on the web but mention white supremacist and abuse and they demand proof.
I'm sorry that in this day and age anyone has to go through this as it's unacceptable and rather than demading proof they should be demanding change.

I'm with you on this. I was thinking about all the writing I've done publicly and the only times I've been heavily questioned or accused of lying are when I write about violence committed by white people, even when I can provide full transparency and citations. It's completely bizarre.

I think it's a sad fact that many people don't want to accept that racism is still a major problem, their way of doing this is to deny it happens. As a white man I accept it is happening and stand against it when I see it.

I don't know what I find more infuriating, the fact that these idiots see trumps victory or brexit as validation and a green light to behave this way or those that refuse to believe it's happening and find any reason to dismiss the experiences of those on the receiving end.

That is truly a tough call. :-(

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