(July 7, 2020 at 4:25 pm)tackattack Wrote:(July 7, 2020 at 2:02 pm)Shell B Wrote: I'm forever astounded at the minuscule lengths people are willing to go to avoid simply saying, "I want to see an end to racism." Here, and in real life, I see people I would've never considered racist refuse to take any kind of hard stance against racism. They can't even say black lives matter, even when out of the context of the BLM movement. They wouldn't dare attend a protest because they may be seen as anti-cop. They wouldn't go out of their way to support black people because there are just so many other causes out there that they're also doing nothing about. We wouldn't want to be seen as controversial or anti-white. I've seen all these positions and more over and over again.
I couldn't imagine being black. I couldn't imagine reading a forum thread where people argued that simply subtly changing a banner to show support for me in a dangerous time for people who look like me was just too much, too controversial, too political. It's no wonder there are groups of black people who can't see an ally in any white person. I'd be defensive as fuck too.
I want an end to overt and systemic bigotry and racism Shell. Here and in RL which I discuss with my family and friends regularly lately. Black lives do matter, especially now.
My only point was that if AF wants to change the banner every week for the next cause that's something you'll have to take up with the programmers here. It won't affect my attendance/ participation. If you want to start with just this one, the rest will all want their piece. It's a lot of work that I think it would not help as much as other solutions. Wouldn't setting up a thread under announcements for charitable causes and ways to donate, fed from the feedback thread, be much more effective at solving real world problems and making an impact and showing support?
I see it as similar to mask wearing. It's such a small ask to put on a mask, why not just do it? Is the purpose to keep the current cause in the forefront of everyone's attention or to provide outlets for change? I thought it was the latter. If it's the former I can see why making a banner change would be helpful. Perhaps easier to manage would be a color scheme change for the forums or a bot in the shoutbox to send out some links or a phrase after xx posts.
It's sole and only purpose is to offer some small token of understanding and solidarity to a group that has NEVER been treated as equal in the entire history of the United States. It wouldn't be a rotating banner to highlight any and every cause. It would specifically, for whatever time deemed necessary, be an anti-racism banner. Anyone who says, "But what about me and my cause?" couldn't see past the tip of their nose, and that's their problem. I have OCD and I'm not begging for a mental health banner. I just thought it would be a nice gesture since, you know, people are debating whether black people's worries should even be worth considering in every single level of American society right now. A little, "Hey, you know what? We think your life matters." is hardly a big ask. Yeah, there are other persecuted groups. None have been so publicly and brutally scrutinized in this country to this extent. Even the Muslim hysteria was only a fraction of our history.
I'm happy to not do it if this forum doesn't want it as a whole. I can't say I'm not disappointed in the apathy and/or whataboutisms I see here. I'll get over it. It's a mirror image of the attitude everywhere else, so it's hardly surprising.
