American Identities

My name is Emma and I am a junior in highschool. This blog is a part of my American Identities class at school. These are my opinions on the issues facing America.

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P.Y.F.T.

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also following last post

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The Trump Effect

Just days after Donald Trump was elected President, the effect his racist, xenophobic, homophobic, etc comments are being seen across the country. Throughout his campaign, his supporters have become more and more bold and unfiltered. When the Republican candidate spread these messages, it completely normalized the ideology and behavior of treating minorities or people with disabilities basically like shit. Let's not forget that our children are watching TV, and that they hear what Trump says about their peers or even themselves. When Trump was elected President, it sealed the deal. People have completely thrown any filter or political correctness that they had out the window. Just looking on my Twitter feed, or my Facebook newsfeed, there are countless stories of people sharing their experiences of utter hate and intolerance. Muslim women are afraid to wear a hijab. People of color are being told to "Go back to Africa", "Go back to Mexico", etc. An openly gay man was brutally attacked by Trump supporters. (https://twitter.com/tehbhav/status/796434898764476416) Families are terrified of separation and are making emergency plans in case of deportation. Children are being told by their peers that they will be deported. Donald Trump has sent the message that it's okay to hate. It has put millions of people in actual danger. What does this say about our country? Will we blindly follow anyone with some money and popularity? Or is this really how we think? Did America really feel this way all along? Now it seems that Mr. Trump is going back on his promises; he is no longer going to repeal Obamacare, and the proposal to ban Muslims isn't in his plans for the first 100 days. Was this planned all along to get the media riled up in order to gain votes? Who knows. What we do know is this country is in grave danger if we don't acknowledge the current situation and change it. Because we are the people, and we have the power.

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Amazing poetry by Prentice Powell on how the system affects and works against blacks in America.

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The Problem With “All Lives Matter”

Many people argue that Black Lives Matter means that white lives, or other groups’ lives don’t matter. However, they seem to be missing the point. The entire point of the BLM movement is to protest the evident fact that black lives matter less than white lives to the American criminal justice system, and government as a whole. (Huffington Post) The problem with dismissing BLM and spreading All Lives Matter is that it’s, once again, a complete disregard for black grievances. To be completely honest, it’s not a white person’s place to comment or minimize on the treatment of blacks when all they’ve experienced is a life full of privilege. Think about it this way; if I am a person who doesn’t watch a popular tv show, my opinion on it is not going to have much of an effect. But if the show’s #1 fan shared their opinion, others will learn from it and it will be valid, because that person has watched the show. The same applies when whites minimize the systemic and social racism that affects people of color everyday. White people simply do not experience the things people of color do. So how can they make decisions and conclusions on things they personally have not experienced?

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Ernestine Johnson spills the tea

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What is the Black Lives Matter movement all about?

Good question. A common misconception about the BLM movement is that it’s anti-police, or anti-white people. However, this is far from the truth. Taken directly from blacklivesmatter.com, “Black Lives Matter is a chapter-based national organization working for the validity of Black life. We are working to (re)build the Black liberation movement.” The movement was created after 17 year-old Trayvon Martin’s killer was cleared of his crimes. The Black Lives Matter movement responds and calls out the systemic racism that still lurks in our country.

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Profile picture of the term; Black Lives Matter

Source: http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-runner-up-black-lives-matter/