Transparency, Part Two

697 words published on May 31, 2020

Many years ago, I wrote an article discussing Why I Gave Up My Internet Anonymity. It was a personal decision to make myself vulnerable to all the social consequences of wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Today, I feel the need to shed the next layer of armor that I’ve used to insulate myself. As much as I wrote about politics here and on other social spaces online, there have been a few ideas that I’ve kept to myself and a small circle of friends that aren’t recording or sending that data to the NSA.

But before we get started…

Don’t Share This Post

I’m like halfway through writing this and I’m having a fuck of a time making it seem like this post isn’t me making the black liberation movement about me.

However, this is my blog and what I’m writing about here is me. It’s the only topic I’m unequivocally the most qualified person to write about. And right now I have a personal need to express myself as a form of therapy or self-care. To continue reading beyond this section is to agree that you’re aware that you’re willingly indulging me in that self-care (thanks, by the way).

I also want to state that the use of superhero language here is not indicative of some idiotic white savior complex. I’m not saving anyone but myself here.

So don’t share this. The only people who should give a shit about my feelings about black liberation will have sought me out and found it on their own. I’m not SEO’ing this page.

Instead, Share These:

Instead open eyes and ears and signal-boost the voices of black people.

A Privileged White Man’s Duty

I saw a video that showed a black man speaking in protest in a crowd of white people in suits and other formal attire. In that video, you see several white men in uniforms and suits rush toward him. Seeming to try to stop him from speaking or at least intimidate him.

The man had two white people with him. They stood right by him the entire time and never let anyone else get between them and the speaker. When the people attempting to silence him, intimidate him, or [God only knows what else] got close, they formed a human shield for the man.

The agitators wouldn’t touch the white people.

It was like some sort of invisible forcefield that the black man didn’t have.

I’m inspired by this. And I’m aware that I, too, have such a forcefield. And after reading Spider-Man comics all my life, I know in my heart what it means to have great power.

So I’m going to take the opportunity I have to use my superpower to stand between a heavily-armed occupying fascist army and my fellow citizens. I’m going to do so physically when I can.

And Also Slacktivism!

In addition to what little I can do physically, I’m also going to bring down the shields on political things I post on social media.

As much as I fear political persecution (the president labeled me a terrorist today) and reprisals in my career and personal life, that’s nothing compared to what black people have to fear just walking down the street here. I’ll use my forcefield to survive.

And just for clarity…

My point is not that none of us should have superpowers that keep the police, ICE, or other law enforcement entities from taking away our liberty. My point is that this shouldn’t be a superpower in the first place. This is supposed to be a god-given right of every single human being.

Fuck racists. Fuck fascism. Fuck authoritarians. #iAmAntifa

I may edit this post later, but I wanted to get it out as “real” as possible before I let myself chicken out. I apologize for bad phrasing, spelling, logic, (etc.) and I’ll take any feedback you want to send me to heart and try to fix or improve whatever I can later.

(Remember: Don’t share this.)