Hi all. First off, let me just say that I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received since mom passed last Tuesday (7/9/13). I will miss her dearly, but all of you have made this a bearable experience.
With that said, let's have some controversy and possibly differing opinions eh? This week's big news is of course the acquittal of one Mr. George Zimmerman. If you have been under a rock for I don't know the last 6 months, Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old black male who was shot and killed during an altercation with a neighborhood watch coordinator named George Zimmerman in Florida last February. Now of course, only those two will ever know who approached who and how the altercation progressed, but my argument is that Martin and Zimmerman's encounter is only a reflection of racial tension in America.
Now as I have said before, identity makes a difference in one's perception. As a member of the LGBT community, I feel that oppression of one is oppression of all. I am no ally to one race over another, but I am also not "blind to race" (an idea that I think is ridiculous). I simply see race, think we should celebrate the differences that it entails, and shy away from the othering that often occurs between races and other differing demographic groups. After all, there is much more difference within a particular group than there is between groups. Thank you to the late Dr. Clarence Talley for that nugget.
During this trial and after the verdict, I have seen several graphics on Facebook and social media telling the stories of white victims who have died at the hands of black men and blaming the media for having racial bias. The problem with this is that if you do the research, instead of just sharing a graphic posted by a Facebook page dedicated to guns, you will find that in these cases race was not a driving force in the crime. Now of course that doesn't make these crimes excusable, but it does limit them from comparison with Martin/Zimmerman. No one in the media "made this about race", as the pundits and defenders of white supremacy will say. Zimmerman did when he followed someone who looked "suspicious".
But then again, our American society doesn't just do this victim blaming based on race. We do it to our (female) rape victims as well. Why was she drunk at that party? What was she doing out at three in the morning? Why was Trayvon walking through that neighborhood? Why did he fight back? These questions show our need to blame the victim. Because our society is maintained by the enigma of the straight, white, Christian, Anglo Saxon male, we fail to ask these same questions if those individuals were they placed in the same circumstances as our female/black victims. Do we ever question why a man is passed out drunk at a party, or just women? Here is the plain and simple truth, rape is rape and murder is murder. We do not need to place blame on the victim because they "didn't take the proper steps to ensure their safety", we need to examine why THE ACTUAL CRIMINAL COMMITTED THE CRIME!
But back to Martin/Zimmerman. The crux of the problem in this case is Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law. The legislation reads that someone has the right to use deadly force to protect from death or great bodily harm. Obviously this "great bodily harm" perception is very subjective. Although Zimmerman may not be guilty under this law, it doesn't mean that the law is beneficial to the citizens of Florida, and there seems to be some consensus that it isn't. I can come up to you and punch you in the mouth, and if you start fighting back and kicking my a**, I have the right to shoot you under this law. Also, let's examine the case of Marissa Alexander, a woman who discharged warning shots at her husband during a domestic violence situation. Now she lives in Florida and her defense team used the stand your ground law. However, Alexander was found guilty and received 20 years of prison. Marissa Alexander is, you guessed it, black.
Racism, victim blaming, and a bad law pushed through by the NRA took a young man's life. To right these wrongs we need to not only stop victim blaming and reexamine stand your ground laws, but also look at our racial tensions. Analysis of race in an honest manner is the only solution. There ARE white people who throw the N word around when they shouldn't. "Cracker" does not have the historical meaning that the N word does. There ARE African Americans who use the race card when it is not applicable, but there are also white people who deny race as an issue in cases where it is. There are several issues that make race a very difficult issue to discuss. But if we use empathy and see the plight of African Americans and their experiences in America, we as white people can see that Jim Crow racism is dead, but his son Jim Crow Jr., a more subtle racism, is alive and well. Also, it seems that if you want to commit a crime, do it in Florida. Zimmerman and Casey Anthony will back me up on that.
Please watch scholars Melissa Harris-Perry and Bob Hebert here.
Cool tumblr about white privilege here.
On to another controversy, the ban on blood donations from gay men. Started in the 70s, before the AIDS epidemic, the ban on gay blood donations sends a message that a gay man with a clean hill of health proposes a bigger danger to the healthy blood supply than a straight man who has had chlamydia, genital warts, and other lovely diseases that they show you in "sex ed" classes. In some states, straight men can give blood even after getting tattoos and sleeping with prostitutes. Now of course it is understandable to try to protect the blood supply, but after existing for 35 years, this ban is outdated. As this article states, testing has improved, and ALL blood is screened before being given to a patient. So why single out a whole group of people, especially when blood donations are shrinking and the blood supply is at dangerously low levels? Fear and ignorance, that's why.
Now, I could simply lie and donate anyway (and since I am HIV negative, it will be put to use). But just knowing that the Red Cross and FDA think my blood is probably tainted kinda discourages me from going out and having a big needle sit in my arm for ten minutes. Also, with others there is a sense of shame that their blood may taint someone. In the past month, this question has received more attention than it has in recent memory, and hopefully the policy will be examined. Remember to read the article for full details. And for all of those out there who can donate, go do it! Even though the low supply is politically helpful to this cause, it is not helpful for those who are needing blood. Sign petitions and participate in gay friendly blood drives. Til next time, give life a deeper read.
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