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drwexLast time I was uncertain whether or not to wear a safety pin. I'm still open to comments and discussion, but for now I'm wearing one.
Certainly the encouragement from friends helped. I also feel a great deal more under personal threat now that we've seen the fucking Nazis (yes, the actual ones plus their wannabe coattails) crawl out of the woodwork and give Trump the proper straight-armed salute. So, yeah, I'm wearing a safety pin.
I don't actually expect any random person of color to feel better about my wearing it - there's still no reason for them to trust me, nor feel like I'm not carrying a false flag. But I also expect that white dudes who see it are going to notice and that's important. Trumpism is a white dude problem and we better figure out how we're going to fix it.
Plus two: my new favorite cow orker felt she should join me in wearing a pin. Together we explained to another young man in the office why the pin and why it was important. We'll see if he joins in.
ETA: other (young) white dude cow orker not only wears prominent safety pin, he carries a supply to offer people who want to wear one. We got to explain to yet another cow orker what it was all about, but she's still hesitant.
Certainly the encouragement from friends helped. I also feel a great deal more under personal threat now that we've seen the fucking Nazis (yes, the actual ones plus their wannabe coattails) crawl out of the woodwork and give Trump the proper straight-armed salute. So, yeah, I'm wearing a safety pin.
I don't actually expect any random person of color to feel better about my wearing it - there's still no reason for them to trust me, nor feel like I'm not carrying a false flag. But I also expect that white dudes who see it are going to notice and that's important. Trumpism is a white dude problem and we better figure out how we're going to fix it.
Plus two: my new favorite cow orker felt she should join me in wearing a pin. Together we explained to another young man in the office why the pin and why it was important. We'll see if he joins in.
ETA: other (young) white dude cow orker not only wears prominent safety pin, he carries a supply to offer people who want to wear one. We got to explain to yet another cow orker what it was all about, but she's still hesitant.
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Date: 2016-11-23 03:46 pm (UTC)oops this got long.
Date: 2016-11-24 01:17 am (UTC)"The safety pin movement has been both praised and shouted down, mostly by people from those vulnerable demographics who are at best skeptical and at worst think it’s nothing more than white savior complex shenanigans, a hollow gesture sure to be unaccompanied by action. For black people, it’s akin to police officers handing us ice cream when we asked them to stop murdering us.
I’m indifferent to the safety pins themselves, both unimpressed and unbothered by them — doubtful that white people wearing pins are doing much more than simply accessorizing as social justice warriors, and cautiously optimistic that a few folks aren’t just wearing the pin as a symbol but as part of a plan of action. It comes down to the individual, and if people want to wear pins, fine. "
I think I read that before I heard about the safety pin thing (i live under a rock). I've not actually seen anyone wearing one in person. But my experience with this election was akin to the Bush/Gore one in Boston. (ie, being in an area that overwhelmingly voted for the person who did not win, and really don't understand how the rest of the country feels differently than they do.) A lot of black people and minorities live in my area so personally I feel like wearing a pin would put me into the 'white saviour complex' arena. I am feeling politically dejected right now to the point of 'why bother?', but am not socially exempt from action. Whether I'm scared or not, police involved or not, guns involved or not, I have resolved to always speak up when I see racism or injustice happening.
I'm saying that mostly to try and rationalize why your coworker might have shown hesitancy. My own hesitancy to wear a pin says 'how is this -really- going to be helping?' and 'what will black people think of me wearing this?' and 'will they take it in the vein its meant? (but why should they have to understand what i mean, it's not their job to understand the white man's dilemma).' Also: everyone should know immediately by how I treat them where I stand on the issues (cause i got that het up about them!)
incidentally, i think your coworker with the box of pins is falling into the category of having a plan: he is continuing the discourse every time he asks someone if they want one. but it can't stop there. social justice never stops at a tshirt slogan or a pin on your lapel.
Re: oops this got long.
Date: 2016-11-25 03:14 pm (UTC)I've seen similar sentiments to the article you linked. It's one of the reasons I hesitated. I'm reasonably certain I'm not saving anyone other than myself and my family. If someone does nothing more than wear a pin I'm not in a position to criticize them.
My coworker isn't going around thrusting pins onto people. He's having conversations and if people are willing to participate then they can do so right there. If that's not enough for some people, well, that's one opinion. Given all the more-visible signs of hate sprouting every day I'm happy to see signs of anti-hate as well.