Can I Tell Anyone, How They Should Act, Feel or Think??

In a short answer, no!!

So ask yourself, why do so many people feel that they are able to tell people they shouldn't feel discriminated against??

Welcome to a topic that has been scratching consistently at the surface of my skin, trying to get under it for the past few weeks...

Another day in the life of Non Indigenous people telling people of Colour how they should feel, think & act - when they feel discriminated against...

So often I have heard the term, get over it, move on, that doesn't affect me so why should it affect you.. 

The thing is, if somebody doesn't like Brussel sprouts - do we say, c'mon you should like them, or no they aren't yuk, they are nice so eat them..

My point being, like enjoying brussel sprouts - discrimination is based in an individual's thoughts & feelings due to the actions of someone else - so how can we say 'no you shouldn't feel like that' when we have no control over why, how or when others should feel certain ways..

of late, we've seen many widepread social media articles about 'Blackface'. The truth being, Blackface WAS something in our history which was about the ridicule & demoralizing acts against people with a 'Blackface'

If a Non Indigenous white person feels that they aren't affected by such issues, surely that does not give them permission to degrade another person about their feelings???

I had a conversation recently around this issue, with the other stating - surely we are allowed to dress up in costume at a dress up party of my favorite black entertainer or sports person, and not be seen as racist???  

My answer to that is - NO, the individual may not be racist or meaning to be discriminating  - but you must understand the history around dressing up as a person of colour most definitely has been seen as racist or discriminatory...

So why would you want to be subjected to emulating that?????

Final point - you feel the way you do, I feel the way I do - yes it may be different at times; but we as individuals have the right to feel what we want, when we want without being subjected to, at times national & global ridicule, for having such feelings!!!

A simple reminder for one of the very first lessons we all learn as toddlers...

Learn to respect each other's feelings!!!

Jw