Break the silence

Its hard to know where to even start, or what I can even say, but if I have realised anything over the last week, it is that this is not the time to be silent.

Let's go back to the start of May. Covid-19 restrictions had just lifted in Vietnam meaning that we were able to go out, drink, gather in public and eat at restaurants again.

It was an amazing feeling and I couldnt wait. After being indoors for what felt like years, finally meeting a friend to have some food seemed like an absolute luxury! However arriving at the restaurant we were met with horrified looks, purely because we were Westerns.

Discrimination during the peak of Covid-19 was very clear. Signs were placed around shops, bars and attractions stating very clearly "no Europeans/Westerns". Purley for the reason that Covid-19 was brought into the country mainly by travelers and spread amongst travelers gathering in bars (the biggest breakout in HCMC was at a expat hotspot).

I was shocked. This was straight up discrimination. Even just typing that sentence I am well aware that it is only a drop in the ocean. As a European woman I am well aware that I will not experience true discrimination. I am well aware of my white privilege.

If that phrase offends you, please read on, let me help break it down.

White privilege doesnt refer to a social class, or an economic class. It doesn't mean you have had a "privileged" life in the sense you havent had to struggle, or work hard, or go nights without food or experienced hard times. White privilege means that the colour of your skin hasn't made things worse for you.

White privilege is not being followed around a store.

White privilege is receiving "warnings" from the police.

White privilege is reading children's book that show pictures of people that look like you.

White privilege is saying "I'm sick of hearing/seeing all this racism stuff" but not actually having to experience it.

Obviously this is a big topic right now, everywhere in the world, not just America, but these are conversations happening in New Zealand and Vietnam too..

I may not be the best person to relay this information and this could all be things you have heard before, but if it helps clear things up for even one person reading this, it's worth it.

A few things that I have noticed in all the news articles or social media comments or just in general conversations, that I would like to address...

1. All lives matter:

while correct, that is not the issue right now. Think of it like this;

Your house is on fire, you call the firefighters to come put it out. They bring their hoses, but before they get to your house, they have to spray every single house along the way. Why? Because all houses matter that's why.

Seems dumb?

Do you understand? Yes all lives matter, yes all houses matter, but it's the house that is on fire that needs the attention.

2. Rioting doesnt solve anything;

Did you learn about the Boston tea party at school?

How about the Berlin wall?

Those riots definitely solved something.

I would also like to mention that it took riots and multiple protesters across many different countries for four police officers to be arrested after the video of them murdering a restrained man had been circulating the world for days. Then and only then were arrests made.

Also "peaceful protests" were happening and people didnt like that either.

People were kneeling for the national anthem in America and people were angry.

Martin Luther King Jr. Was, famously a non-violent protester and someone still shot him.

3. All of this for one man:

it's not just one though.

February 2019- Ahmaud Arbery was out jogging when two men chased him down, and shot him for "looking like a suspect in a crime they witnessed a few weeks ago". He was murdered in February, the two men were not charged until May. MAY.

March 2019- Breonna Taylor was at home, where she was shot at least 8 times after over 20 rounds of ammunition was fired into her house while the police were looking for a man who was not believed to have resided in the complex, and were attempting to enter her home without announcement.

These are just two examples, there are more;

Eric Garner, Ezell Ford, Michelle Cusseaux, Tanisha Anderson, Tamir Rice, Natasha McKenna, Walter Scott, Bettie Jones, Philando Castile, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Eric Reason, Dominique Clayton. These people, all murdered by police. For no logical reason.

This is just the tip people.

4. Well If they didnt commit a crime or if they wernt resisting;

How are either of these things an automatic death sentence?? In all the cases mentioned, no crime was ever proven therefore the above statement is moot.

And resisting? If you hadn't commited a crime but were still being treated as a criminal you would have something to say as well. The fact that you could even argue with a police officer - check back to the white privilege paragraph.

5. That Is America, not New Zealand, why not worry about our own back yard or our own people;

We are not exempt New Zealand.

Think of a Low-level crime like drug use or possession, in 2017 7.3% percent of Maori convicted went to prison, compared to 2% of Pakeha.

1 in every 142 Maori New Zealanders are in prison - compared to 1 in every 808 non-Maori New Zealanders.

And most recently Taika Waititi made headlines a few months back as he was chosen to direct the new star wars film, the story read, "New Zealand academy award winner..."

Last week when he said his peice on everything that is happening and it wasnt recieved too well the headlines changed to "Maori film director"

When hes winning hes a Kiwi, but when he has miss stepped he is Maori? Right.

These problems are just the tip, there are so many other things that I cannot explain, or begin to even understand. And I fully acknowledge that I am not the person with all the answers as I cannot speak on something I will never experience. I know I am not perfect either, there are times where I should have spoken up and didnt and times where I have said the wrong thing, but it that doesnt mean the conversation cannot happen at all. We all, as a world need to be having these tough conversations. If you dont know what to say,

Listen.

Read.

Ask.

"Its not a good time" - is no longer an excuse, not that it ever was. When is a good time to talk about people being murdered in the street by the system that is meant to protect them?

For anyone that thinks, this isn't my problem.

If you have a black friend, have dated a black person, ever indulged in any art form that has been created by a black person (music, movies or artwork) ever used an ironing board, a traffic light, a home security system, a clothes dryer, lawnmower or a pacemaker then this IS your problem.

If you are a human being with love and compassion then it is YOUR problem.

If you have made it to the end, thank you. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Education and awareness are part of the solution along with compassion, empathy and solidarity. We can all be better. We can all grow, we can all fix this. We can all work towards a better life, for everyone.

All the names, events and statistics quoted in this artical have been researched, however if you have found something incorrect, please do let me know.

If you think something is wrong, please, do some research yourself and I will be willing to have a conversation with you. Talk to your friends, family, your neighbours.

Open conversations, open minds, open hearts.

Kia Kaha

BLM

❤👊🏿