So I went to a rally organized by the lebanese community and the cheers generally centred around 'ceasefire', 'now', and things about Israel. All in all it was a really well done rally, and I was happy to see so much of the lebanese community demonstrating democratically in their new democratic country; their second home perhaps.
Then in a car ride away from the rally this car next to me featured a woman shaking her head in disagreement over the rally. "What's the point of a protest" she scoffed. I leaned, because leaning and talking is disciplinary, and said "to build solidarity, to voice opinions". She retorted something along the lines of "well I just cant see why they cant just be happy to be here..."
The conversation ended.
I beg your pardon?
Well they can't just be happy to be here because part of being here is demonstrating against government if something the government did made you unhappy. And that which maybe made them unhappy was the governments unequivocal support for Israels response, or could it be the second Qana Massacre in 10 years, or the mere fact that their loved ones, friends, and lebanese homeland is in jeopardy? Just be happy? You mean to say, shut up democracy only counts for the whites?
Part of the most despicable irreversable proof of such ignorance was the fact that this speaker was a woman. Can she not liken her response to the average male response when women asked for the vote, asked to be put on a ballot, asked to be judges, be participatory in a system that promises equality? Just be happy? She can't extend such a notion of her own historically oppressed identity towards those who are oppressed in todays day and age? No, she can make snide comments about it in her crappy little car drinking a frappucino blended coffee burning fossil fuels wearing child-made clothing ruining the environment at 30 kilometers an hour in the slow lane of government town where the sun might be shining but if anyone said anything there would have to be a report.
Ragelore.
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2 comments:
It's dishearting that in a country(such as ours) that takes pride in its multiculturalism there are many out there who ignore the rights of others and are blind to their own racism. Just be happy you aren't one of them.
On a positive spin without the aggrevating dialogue you went through we wouldn't be reminded of how far we all have yet to go.
DK
Ah..how nice to know I'm not the only who sees the world along these lines : her crappy little car drinking a frappucino blended coffee burning fossil fuels wearing child-made clothing ruining the environment at 30 kìlometers an hour...
Although I must admit that its a hard task not to be a culprit myself when I go out to buy any type of clothes..although most of my clothes are hand-me-downs or from dear ol' Value Village. And if I had to be my clothes all at non-sweatshop stores or labels I'd be broke or wearing really run-down see-through clothing ;P
Ciao,
Mo
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