Keyboard “Social Justice Warriors”
Oh man. Gotta rant on this a bit.
(If you don’t do this, the post isn’t about you. So don’t @me with BS)
Social justice warriors are my worst nightmare. They are usually trying to jump on social issues for attention, not bothering to learn any of the historical context for the issues they’re “so against” while simultaneously doing more harm than good.
If you want to make real progress in an area, you need to make sure you aren’t doing what I’m about to discuss.
This post made me finally decide to type this up.
I’ve noticed a counterproductive trend in society where we are over correcting for some injustices, and declaring every person in a privileged group an enemy. There is also a tendency to find out a person made a mistake (said a racist, sexist, ignorant thing at one point) and then NEVER allow them to grow from it, or to even try and ‘cancel’ them after they’ve lived most of their lives as kind people after unlearning bigoted behavior.
I think I first witnessed this with Liam Neeson. Trust me, the radical reactions to that created far more enemies than allies.
I’m going to be very blunt here and say straight out, attacking every member of a majority group because they are imperfect and ignorant, is fucking stupid.
If you’re never going to let a person reform or grow from their mistakes (i’m talking actual growth. Not crying into their cell phone apologizing but actually taking concrete steps towards change while actively trying to learn) then what exactly are you fighting for?
What’s your end goal? Waiting for all those people to die off? That isn't’ going to happen.Hate and intolerance are learned behaviors, and you making sure these people never get a chance at redemption is a good way to keep that festering.
You need to allow people to change as they learn. Just like you weren’t born with all the information you have now, they weren’t.
My favorite quotes are by Maya Angelou and Malcom X because they reflect this idea perfectly:
“Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.” ― Malcolm X
“ “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” - Maya Angelou
Any civil rights leader you look up will understand the importance of allies.
This weird SJW crusade where you go around canceling and slinging hate at people? Yeah that has never accomplished anything. You’re not cool and you’re not helping anyone.
It’s the people who are able to work with the oppressing group that get shit done (Fredercik Douglass, Malcom X, Daisy Bates, the list is endless).
When you go around raging at people because they simply exist in a broad identity group and don’t agree with something you’ve said, all you’ve done is make more people pissed at the group you claim to be a part of (liberal, female, LGBTQ+ etc)
Here is the reality of the situation:
People of color in the United States especially need white allies.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community need straight allies.
Every single oppressed group NEEDS allies in the majority group.
Think back historically to what happened when these groups had NO allies in a majority group. Women living as men’s property with ZERO rights over their bodies, black slavery, Japanese internment camps, people discriminated against for their sexuality being anything but straight CIS.
These groups are called “minority” for a reason. There are less of us OR we wield less power. This does not mean you should have to grovel, accept mistreatment, and excuse harmful behavior. What it means is, as a human being that learns and evolves, you need to allow others to do the same, or you won’t make progress.
You really need to think before you start accusing people of racist, sexist, anti-anything behavior, because you might just be shitting on a real ally and making more enemies in the process.
While some allies may be resilient, others might not be, and you might lose someone who could’ve been helpful to your cause. Now we can sit here and say “Well if they were REAL allies they SHOULD-” or we can stop whining and work with what is and not what “should be” and actually get shit done.
No matter how much you hate people for their privilege, they are people too. Radicals are created, not born. You can’t control other people’s behavior, but you can control your own, so don’t spread hate and vitriol and make things worse for those you claim to represent.
There are people who are fake allies who are allies when it’s convenient and they have something to gain. That’s not the people I’m referring to. Honestly, ef em. What I’m talking about is people who grew up in a place of privilege who are actively trying to learn and grow after realizing that was the case, and probably stumbling awkwardly through it with good intentions.
Spitting in the face of actual allies is counterproductive, and harmful to progress. And as much as things “should be a certain way” they aren’t. Even though people who are real allies “shouldn’t be dissuaded by shitty people,” that’s not how it goes. So you can spend your life complaining, and doing stuff like that comic depicts, or you can make actual meaningful change.
Sorry but this “bitch and stay inactive” mentality drives me fucking nuts.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE CHANGE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. DON’T JUST SIT THERE AND ATTACK PEOPLE OR COMPLAIN BECAUSE THEY AREN’T THE WAY THEY SHOULD BE.
