I Hope He's Not...
I recently posted an article from Salon, which I'm sure irritated or upset people. It was called "Let's Hope the Boston Marathon Bomber is a White American."
Yup, pretty upsetting. In fact it's upsetting to me too but perhaps in a
different way than for most. It's upsetting because it speaks a truth
that is too true. Rather than go into further analysis about the
article, I'll share a couple of stories - mine and that of a friend.
When Virgina Tech shooting happened, I confess that I immediately presumed he would be a White male student. Yes, I know. So wrong to jump to stereotypical conclusions. But be honest, didn't you do the same?
Although as much as the news reinforces and reports on this demographic (White, male, etc.) as school shooters, there is no warnings about dangerous White young men and how we should profile them on our campuses. It simply doesn't happen due to the racial realities in the United States. Add to it when I found out that the shooter was Asian, I unfortunately thought to myself, "Oh no, I hope he isn't Chinese" because I knew that an entire people, my so-called people, would be targeted.
After 9-11, an Egyptian friend found herself riding on the "T" with people staring at her, being afraid and angry, as she represented the face of terrorism. There she stood also being afraid because she knew that they saw her as a terrorist and she feared that she would be verbally or physically assaulted.
On the other hand her husband who is from upstate New York and White never had to face such scrutiny or racial profiling after the Oklahoma City bombing by domestic terrorists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, or after the Centennial Park bombing in Atlanta by Eric Rudolph.
A hard truth that I just wish wasn't true.
When Virgina Tech shooting happened, I confess that I immediately presumed he would be a White male student. Yes, I know. So wrong to jump to stereotypical conclusions. But be honest, didn't you do the same?
Although as much as the news reinforces and reports on this demographic (White, male, etc.) as school shooters, there is no warnings about dangerous White young men and how we should profile them on our campuses. It simply doesn't happen due to the racial realities in the United States. Add to it when I found out that the shooter was Asian, I unfortunately thought to myself, "Oh no, I hope he isn't Chinese" because I knew that an entire people, my so-called people, would be targeted.
After 9-11, an Egyptian friend found herself riding on the "T" with people staring at her, being afraid and angry, as she represented the face of terrorism. There she stood also being afraid because she knew that they saw her as a terrorist and she feared that she would be verbally or physically assaulted.
On the other hand her husband who is from upstate New York and White never had to face such scrutiny or racial profiling after the Oklahoma City bombing by domestic terrorists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, or after the Centennial Park bombing in Atlanta by Eric Rudolph.
A hard truth that I just wish wasn't true.
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