**TRIGGER WARNING AND APOLOGIES TO PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR THE TRAUMA THIS POST MAY PROVOKE**
POLITICS ASIDE:
WHITE PEOPLE—WE DON’T EVER, EVER, **EVER** GET TO USE THE WORD “LYNCHING” UNLESS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF ACTUAL LYNCHING. YOU KNOW, LIKE…
…
IN THE LANGUAGE OF LAMENT OVER THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF COLOR LYNCHED IN THIS COUNTRY AND SO MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR WHO REMAIN VULNERABLE TO IT TODAY…
or
IN THE POSTURE OF REPENTANCE FOR ITS EXISTENCE, FOR THE TRAUMA IT CAUSED AND CONTINUES TO PROVOKE, FOR THE STAIN IT REMAINS ON OUR COUNTRY AND CHURCHES WHO STOOD BY WATCHING OR DOING NOTHING TO PREVENT IT…
or
IN THE CONTEXT OF RECONCILIATION THAT LOOKS LIKE RADICAL SOLIDARITY ALONGSIDE ANYONE WHO EXPERIENCED IT OR WHOSE KIN OR PEOPLE GROUP EXPERIENCED IT AND ANYONE EXPERIENCING MODERN-DAY ITERATIONS OF THIS SINFUL ACT.
“LYNCHING” IS NOT A WORD SUBSTITUTES FOR ANY LIFE EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT AKIN TO ACTUALLY BEING STRUNG UP BY WHITE PEOPLE AND HUNG FROM A TREE TO DIE WHILE WHITE PEOPLE STOOD BY AND CHEERED.
OK?!
Unless you or your people have experienced lynching, you don’t get to use this word! To use this word as a substitute for ANYTHING is as IGNORANT AND INSENSITIVE as someone (particularly a male-identified person) using the word “rape” for anything other than the vile act itself.
And if you’re a white person and you know a white person who’s this ignorant and insensitive and is using this word, YOU, WHITE PERSON, have the responsibility to correct their ignorance and insensitivity.
uhm... 