Racial Reckonings: Subscriber Reaction / Interaction

NOTE: Dear Readers, a subscriber emailed me with comments about the last PUSH! installment “Racial Reckonings…” and I have his permission to share our correspondence. The top note is my reply to his first email, wherein I expound upon why the trashy mom incident shouldn’t be dismissed as simply a “fuck her” moment. The note after that is his insightful reply…

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Hello Anonymous,

I wanted to make clear: The point about the Meijer mom and the gas station attendant is that they know they can say any lie and the police will take me away, not them. Truth doesn't matter; and other whites doing what is 'right' has always been subjective and is less likely now because of Chump. Up till now the ditzy bad white females have only played it like a game; and the white cops did most of the dirty work for the bad white people. However, there's now a commercial market targeting white females just like them to buy plastic 3D guns to "protect" themselves - so I could be shot at any time by one of these white females, who know they can make up any story about it they want - if they'd even be asked. It's more dangerous now to be Black, and to be me in particular - an educated Black person (something whites have always hated) than it was when I was only thinking about cops killing me. A friend was saying, any of us in America could get shot at any time - cuz it's a gun-crazy place... but I wanted her to understand that MY chances are way higher, she has no idea how targeted I am now! The 'good' white people are going to have to see this country the way Black people have always experienced it... to understand how bad things really are right now. (And yes, other groups are being targeted too, I know...)

Peace and love to you, Suzanne Sunshower

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Ms. Sunshower,

It's articles like yours that help us white folks understand what it is like to be black in America, if we choose to read them, believe them, and remember them. I feel like white people have built in forgettors, like they say in the AA meetings I go to, we have built in forgettors to get rid of the memories of the things that we did while drinking that sucked so bad, so then we can drink again. White people don't understand the power we have here, and the shitty ways it is used even if we think we are not exercising it. These stories help and other stories like it. I am glad you took the time to go more into what message you are trying to get across with the meijer mom and the gas station attendant. I think it was there in what you wrote but it makes it more clear to me with what your email said.

My mind also flipped the roles in Meijer. Like what if it was you as a young black mother with a child doing whatever it wanted and you not paying attention, then some old white lady says something or does something to indicate that letting your child freely roam around the store acting a fool is not good or that you were endangering the child or the old white lady. I am sure that the old white lady would be believed and supported, and then you as a young mom would be the one asked to leave, or have the cops called for "stealing" or "child abuse" or have DCF called. And god forbid you were to raise your voice to the old white lady or the cashier, cops called for sure because you are "dangerous and threatening". Its fucking bullshit.

I believe that you couldn't be in a more dangerous position living here in the US. Being non-white, female, and non-hetero in America is probably the most endangered group of people unless you are trans too then likely you would be the most endangered person in America.

Keep writing and PUSHing the truth out. I learn a lot from what you write, and what your dad wrote too. I just need to keep remembering it and trying to change my behavior and that of others where I can.

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