“I’m just not that interested in politics.”
Says the one who has never felt anything but comfortable and safe in our society
Says the one who has never been forced to say “yes” to something you didn’t want to do because it means your bones will stay intact and your skin unbruised
Says the one who never has to fear that if they call the police after witnessing an illegal incident, they may be the one who ends up full of bullets
Says the one who has never had to wonder whether they should use the men’s or women’s bathroom
Says the one who has never had to come out to their family and friends and know that their perception of you is forever changed
Says the one who has never had to move to a new country, learn a new language and social customs, and still be mocked and harassed endlessly
Says the one who has never had to fall asleep to the sound of gunshots and police sirens
Says the one who has never had to wonder if they’re going to have enough money for dinner that night
Have you ever had to walk fast down the street at night with your car key between your fingers?
Have you ever been unable to hold your partner’s hand in public, out of concern for their and your safety?
Have you ever walked home wondering if your family members will still be there when you arrive?
Have you ever been told that the mass genocide of your people was a hoax?
Have you ever had sexual remarks shouted at you or had a stranger, maybe even a friend, grab you without your consent?
Have you ever worried that someone will assume something about you because of your skin color?
Have you ever lost friends because of your sexuality?
Have you ever had to listen to a people argue over your control over a body part that they don’t even own?
Have you ever been followed home?
Have you ever watched a movie or read a book that didn’t feature a character who looked like you?
Have you ever had to live with the knowledge that even if you’re twice as good, you won’t ascend to the level as your privileged counterparts?
Apathy is a conscious choice.
You can scream about not having an opinion one way or the other for as long as you want but at the end of the day,
Neutrality doesn’t help the innocent black people who were shot by police,
Or the women who were forced to bring a child into the world against their own volition because of laws that don’t affect their writers in the slightest,
Or the millions of Jewish people killed in the Holocaust,
Or the LGBT people who have been brutally beaten and killed for presenting how they want to or going on a date with their partner,
Or the school children murdered by mass shooters,
Or the children lying in bed at night under three blankets because they can’t afford to turn the heat on with stomachs growling,
Or the Mexican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan families ripped apart by ICE,
Silence does nothing for the oppressed.