The US has been rocked and shaken to its very core by the events of the past couple of weeks. When I see what is happening, my first reaction (after the shock) is what can I do? With my history of having had heart surgery, the COVID-19 pandemic makes me extremely uneasy to be in large crowds. Under other circumstances, I would be out every day, as I am confident in my ability to handle myself in most crowds. But, in an era of an airborne pulmonary-afflicting virus, I just don’t think it is wise for me.
So, I’ve turned my energies to thoughts and writings, which I was already doing in regards to my art work and general reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic. But what kind of thoughts can I contribute to this conversation? As a white man of privilege, I can’t truly speak about oppression. As a gay man, yes, I have experiences with certain types of oppression, but they don’t truly compare to the issues at hand. What I can contribute, though, I hope, is some help in framing conversations for white people to have with each other about what white supremacy is and what it actually does to our society.
Living in an unjust and unequal society is dangerous and toxic for all of its members. It is hard, however, to see how that affects you in a negative way when there are some benefits that accrue to your position. Just because you get some benefits, doesn’t mean it is a system that is good for you overall.
So, I’ll be writing about these types of topics here and I hope that anyone who reads these pieces can follow along and appreciate I’m attempting to say here.