And a lot of familiar sights there, I'm white but I'm all too familiar with anger-producing economic oppression, having lived in the Hayes throughout my college days, a minority on the City College campus, missing the soul food outlet across the street and the street vendor sweet potato pies I lived on through those days. It took me nearly a decade to complete the 4 year program working my way through it.I had a gun in my face more times than I care to recall, and heard the ricochets of a murder our my front doorstep. It was the absolute cheapest apartments in the city those days, now long gone, torn down and replaced by high dollar condominiums with gentrified museums and coffee snob joint storefronts.
I don't claim to know so well the sort of oppression associated with idiotic skin tone presumptive stereotyping, such as prevalent abusive policing by sight sterotyping, nor am I naive to the same--- being of LGBTQ orientation, having been arrested and thrown about like a rag doll by some self-righteous uniformed assholes, having numerous near escapes from life threateningly hazardous persecution AND potential prosecution as a teen runaway from physically and name-calling, degrading, total human rights denial producing abuse condoned by small minded adults as though such was the "norm"... and sadly, it certainly was back then. I am also all too familiar with racial discrimination, having some native american blood that was referred to from the lily white, midwestern cult of my mother's progeny as "the bad blood" and we were intentionally set at a separate table away from the pure blood relatives. Something this child misunderstood so fully that an embarrassing trip to the doctor at about 9 years old ensued: I proffered my arm to the doctor saying he'd better test my blood to confused looks, replying "Grandma said I have the bad blood"... watching my mother turn colors her lily white skin never before or again displayed.
I've lived on the streets, sold myself, slept in unimaginably filthy and wet hideouts and known very little love from my parental units from the time I was discovered to be "different", furthermore was later rescued and got my college backing from the hispanic members of my family once turned of age. God bless their Ortiz departed souls.
So excuse the fuck out of my white ass if I find "Burn this motherfucker down" inspiring. Sue me.
= new reply since forum marked as read
