About racism

This is a message of peace. Please people, love one another.

Lately I came across with a lot of racist remarks and it is very painful to hear. I could stay silent but I decided not to. Not this time.

As a white female, growing up in an open, tolerant and generous family, I never was directly confronted with racism. My brothers and I always had the friends we wanted to have (male, female, rich, poor, blue, green, brown, yellow…) Racism was something very blurry. When you are a kid, it is a word more than a concept. Ethnicities and origins were celebrated as something positive that make us who we are. I became “aware” of its vague reality around high school but truly was not confronted with it (because well, it was not serious or real to me and I guess I was not paying attention.) Above all, I did not want to believe it.

Until recenlty.

I could think of 4 direct social interactions that happened in my life, in less than a month, that included OPEN racist comments. From different people with different backgrounds. It affected me more than I thought and still does. It probably has to do with my boyfriend not being the super white regular french guy. What the fuck does it mean anyway?? As I am writing this I am getting more and more upset. And sad.

After a month in the countryside, I  have heard some alarming speeches. At first, you think it is not very serious, that people can have their own opinion. But when it starts to include violence or close relatives, you start to think otherwise. It is a serious topic. It leads to more than inappropriate comments. Why do people think like that ? Why do they come to the conclusion that their problems are caused by others, by “strangers” (sometimes less “strangers” than them)? I am not here to give answers, although medias and politics have their responsabilites, and instead of saying that these people are morons -which would be very easy and sometimes very true- I wonder why it is how it is. You can be proud of your culture, your traditions, your mother tongue and still be open-minded and curious, can’t you?

We are different indeed, but it is beautiful and rich. Those differences should not be hidden but celebrated and accepted. Respecting people is the number one rule. At least in public spaces, everyone should show a little more decency and respect since we cannot change people’s opinion on the very subject (= “Racism is a product of the complex interaction in a given society of a race-based worldview with prejudice,stereotyping, and discrimination.”) I used to be naive but adults are adults, I do think it is too late for them to change. I guess we will just have to educate our children to make a better World.

More than ever during this time of crisis, we have to show solidarity, love and never blame “others” for what is happening. Because these “others” we should fight are somewhere else, probably in a gold castle with giant diamonds and a private jet, petting their protected bank accounts with a vicious smile on their faces. With a money complexion. A greyish/greenish skin tone. 

So please people, love one another.

First evening in Paris.  The straw that broke the camel…

The guy (a waiter) justified himself by saying “it was a joke”. No it was not. Jokes are funny. It was not funny but insulting. After he said what he said, I only made a statement that it was not really nice to say, without being mad or anything. The waiter apologized but only because “he made the lady sad”, not because he said something inappropriate. I would have left the place but my boyfriend told me it was not a big deal, I should not be getting upset. I replied that because he was used to it, it did not make it acceptable. Then he said “I am not used to it, I got maybe 10 bad comments in my entire life, it is not as common as you think”. Well… But STILL. I am not sorry for letting someone know that his behaviour is NOT ok. And yes I would be my boyfriend’s bodyguard if needed . “Half his size” bodyguard.