No where to hide or just inciting more: racism on display

Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. TikTok.
They are all platforms where people can share their hopes, dreams, opinions and thoughts on everything from dating to the significant historical importance of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Of course a lot of talk has been on the pandemic and whether to mask or not to mask, ‘that is the question.’ It doesn’t take long to do a search on angry customer videos where people don’t want to comply and they make an impassioned speech regarding their rights to not have to wear a mask, COVID-19 is a hoax and that those wearing them are “sheeple.”
There have been a lot of these videos but what seems to be a little more common are those videos which are the racist hate-filled ones with customers attacking employees of stores wishing for them to comply with the ‘must wear masks’ rules.
At first they argue about having to wear the masks and then start attacking employees or customers for being a ‘non-Caucasian’ from another country other than Canada.
The latest one which is getting a lot of attention is a middle aged male screaming racist hate to a couple of employees at a family-run liquor store in Calgary. In fact there have been a few that have made the rounds, many of which involve big box stores, where they are confronted by employees or customers alike.
At first, there were a lot of ‘gotcha’ moments where the subject spewing the hate-filled dialogue didn’t realize they were being filmed because they were so angry. Now that people have the “America (Most Un-) Funniest videos mentality” and it is much more common to understand what is going on when someone is reaching for their phone and holding it pointing up perpendicular to the ground, they know they are being recorded.
And yet, the videos are becoming even more common.
While it could very well be those doing the recording are becoming more vigilant in wanting to out what they deem as racist outbursts, many don’t seem to care.
In fact, some are standing in front of the camera doing their own stand-up monologues for an audience, either pro or con, which can’t wait to comment.
It is horrifying to see the number of people wanting to profess to the world that they do no like another race.
Some try to legitimize it because of some sort of perceived socio-economic irregularities but what it comes down to is not liking or respecting someone because of the colour of someone’s skin.
Social media has been an engine for the Black Lives Matter movement and subsequent related movements for social and criminal justice.
However it has also given a platform for those who are convincing to be able to normalize racism to some of the masses.
The trouble with the www is there is too much to cover and if you over monitor you are deemed to be communist and freedom of speech is attacked.
How does racism get eliminated then? It would seem rather hopeless as it seems there will be a struggle. As much as legislation works in some cases, there’ s no way to legislate attitude, perceptions and judgments.
All that can really be done is educate, inform and as BLM has repeated… listen.
Try to understand.
While we are currently in a very challenging and unpredictable health, social and economic climate…be thankful you don’t live in the United States… please try to put yourself in someone’s shoes and think. It is not all about you getting what’s yours and trying to find a reason not to like or communicate with someone not the same as you.
Not respecting and hating any of your fellow humans is wrong, but it’s despicable if you are doing it based only on their skin colour. And someone apparently is always watching whether you like it or not.
This editorial originated in the Prairie Post

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