REDUCED INEQUALITIES

By Emma Ryan

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I'm white,
I acknowledge my privelages,
so why can't you?

Written by Emma Ryan

Amidst this time of chaos and change, many people's uneducated-selves are showing, without being fully aware that what they may say can further harm others. I despise seeing mindless people trying to defend invalid arguments without fully supporting what they're saying. I wrote this piece to help reduce the amount of people unaware of their privileges and that white people cannot be oppressed.

To begin this opinion piece, before any controversy arises, I'd like to address several important things; the definitions of significant words that will commonly be used throughout this article, that I am half white, so I acknowledge my privileges and not in any shape or form do I intend to offend any race through this article.

Prejudice:
-> unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding an ethnic, racial, social, or religious group (Dictionary.com).

Discrimination:
-> treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favour of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit (Dictionary.com).

Oppression:
-> the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner (Dictionary.com).

Racism:
-> describes patterns of discrimination that are institutionalised as 'normal' throughout an entire culture. It's based on an ideological belief that one 'race' is somehow better than another 'race.' It's not one person discriminating at this point, but a whole population operating in a social structure that actually makes it difficult for a person not to discriminate (Article on Daily Kos.)

Racial Prejudice:
-> prejudice against or hostility toward people of another race or colour or of an alien culture (Merriam-Webster).

According to these definitions, yes, it is possible for white people to experience forms of racial prejudice as there are many different stereotypes and negative beliefs among every race. But this does not necessarily mean that white people can experience racism.
Racism involves the systematic relationship of power, so when prejudice is backed with power, it can result in acts of oppression against groups or individuals. In simpler terms, racism is a system, caused from prejudice plus power. Many people tend to forget, or are ill-informed, that racism is not just prejudice or discrimination. Racism is the addition of a power structure that has favour of a particular race, it only works if one group has power and other groups do not. It is a system in which a dominant race benefits off of the oppression of others.

There are many different ways racism can be viewed, but think of looking at a hierarchical structure, where white people are at the top socially, economically, politically (etc.), while other races are below them. Like mentioned at the beginning of this article, this is not, in any way, meant to be offensive to any race or religion, but just a demonstration of white privilege. This hierarchical structure means that racial prejudice towards the white person individually or personally does not have the power to fully affect these status'. Through history, these inequalities and status' have been formed and shaped the way society feel and view about different groups of people.

So where did reverse racism come from?
It is caused from white people believing that they're losing privileges, or that rights are being taken away from them as other groups are gaining more rights, respect, recognition etc. This stemmed from feeling that as other groups are gradually able to achieve equality and are able to be treated the same as a white person, that white people are suddenly becoming oppressed.

Recently the BLM movement (Black Lives Matter) has been heavily recognised after 46 year old African-American man; George Floyd, died of asphyxiation on the 25th of May due to the pressure applied by police officers kneeling on his neck. His reason of arrest is not completely known, some say he was accused of a $20 forged check and was then arrested, without any hesitation, and was proceeded to be brutally treated by four police officers, all caught on camera. This then lead to protests and riots to make the names of Floyd, and many other black people who were murdered, known, and so that black lives are finally treated as equally as a white life.
But, another movement was started; ALM, or 'All Lives Matter.' Notice how this movement never existed before the BLM movement, and it incorrectly dismisses the BLM movement, and just like reverse racism, ALM was created by ignorant white people who do not understand their privileges. Sure, some people following this movement may have good intentions, saying all races should be equal and the colour of our skin should not matter. But people fail to realise the reality of just saying 'all lives matter,' because when you sit back and take a realistic view on our society, you come to the conclusion that no matter how many times you tweet or post about all lives mattering, there will always be some form of racism that never fails to die out. And as sad as this is, it's the truth. People do not understand that the BLM movement is not about proving or protesting that black lives are superior, but that they are unequally treated compared to other lives. It shows that, according to the history of the enslavement and horrible brutality towards black people, that their lives have never fully mattered, and the BLM movement is to show that black lives should matter before all lives because of this.

As a white person, I have never had to experience walking outside and fearing for my life when surrounded by police. I have never had to be afraid of doing anything just because of my skin colour. I could never imagine what that is like, and I apologise for being associated as part of this problem. While real felons still exist in this world and are able to walk free despite their criminal records, innocent POC (Person/People Of Colour), such as George Floyd, are sadly dead just because of the colour of their skin. White privilege is real, it's a thing, and if you're a white person unable to admit this, you're further proving your white privilege. Stop wanting to be oppressed, it's just plain stupid and heartless. There should be enough human decency to go around to give people of colour more respect and rights and for us to still have some. Instead of invalidating others and viewing this topic stubbornly, view it as something to be open-minded about and an experience to learn from (which I hope you have, from this article). The least you can do as a white person during this time of action, is participate in peaceful protests, sign petitions, and if you can't donate, share them so that people who can donate, will. I shall link websites that have options to educate yourself and try and make a change.

Police Brutality in America

– and the unfairness between the treatment to different citizens

Written by Emma Ryan

Police brutality, or police violence, is defined as a civil rights violation where those within the police department employ excessive force against a subject. These ‘forces’ include physical or verbal harassment, property damage, physical or mental injury, and death, but is not just limited to these. Americans of all races, ethnicities, ages, classes, and genders have been subjected to police brutality, the majority of which experience this in the United States, and the variety of victims have been African American.

These are only few of the many African American people who have been exposed to an excessive amount of force from the people that are so-called ‘protecting them.’ These officers who serve under a ‘justice system’ mercilessly treat different people that are ‘seen as a threat’ because of their appearances. In the estimation of most experts, a key factor of the high numbers of African Americans among other victims of police brutality is anti-Black racism.
Of course, not only African American people have lost their lives, or been treated badly, by the police, but also others of different ethnicities, races, genders, ages, and classes, as mentioned before, but the cases of African American people tend to be the most prominent when focussing on the inequalities shown by the police force.

A recent, and unjustly brought case, is one that happened on August 24, 2019. A 23 year old; Elijah McClain, had undergone series of police violence for no apparent reason. He was walking home from a convenience store from picking up an iced tea for his brother. All of the sudden, he was approached by police, where it is said that their department had received a call reporting a ‘suspicious person’ in a ski mask, but he was not armed and had not committed any sort of crime. His sister had claimed that McClain was wearing an open-face ski mask because he had anaemia and would sometimes get cold.
According to the police officers that had confronted and arrested McClain, he ‘resisted arrest,’ so the officers tackled him to the ground, and one put him in a carotid hold (almost like a chokehold – applies pressure to the side of a person’s neck in order to temporarily cut off blood flow to the brain) as McClain was accused of reaching for a gun. First responders were called, and injected McClain with ketamine, which is a medication mainly used to induce a trance-like state while providing pain relief, sedation, an memory loss – and is what the paramedics had said was a ‘therapeutic’ amount of ketamine so he could be properly detained.
On the way to the hospital, he went into cardiac arrest, and was taken off life support on August 30, 2019, where his family declared he was brain dead, and covered in bruises.
 
Many believe that the law enforcements used excessive force, which led to his death, while those also under the police force had said that the officer’s actions were ‘unclear’ as to whether it led to his death. McClain’s autopsy had not permanently determined anything, and because its results were unsure, it also caused people to accuse his death on his own physical exertion.
 
Months after his arrest, only then was body-camera footage from an officer of the arrest, released. McClain said he could not breathe, he told them his name, he sajd he has ID but no gun, he pleaded with them, he apologised, but still, to no avail, the officers had continued their brutal actions. One of the officers could be head threatening to set his dog on McClain if he ‘kept messing around.’ It really started to raise the question as to whether these officers, or any involved in violent scenarios, ever had any human decency, or rationale. And even despite the small coverage and small rallies, McClain’s death did not receive much attention in the news until the death of George Floyd. Although no justice has really been taken for McClain, the many petitions and complainst made to the department may force them to make a change.

In the United States, police killed 1,093 people in 2016, and 1,146 people in 2015. About 1,00 people are killed each year by law enforcement. Mass shootings have killed 339 people since 2015, while police shooting have killed 4,355 people, both within the same time span.
 
It’s a problematic system, there is always some sort of problematic person. Whether this violence actually stems from racial bias, a bad temper, insecure masculinity, etc. there is no one solution, but precautions can always be put in place, and departments could learn to do their jobs thoroughly. The performances and history of police officers are not always monitored when hiring one. As it is hard to already attract highly qualified candidates, departments may tend to leave out problematic past issues and not account for them.
Derek Chauvin, one of the four police officers that had contributed to his death, had received multiple complaints against him long before the Floyd incident. If that department had truly researched about him, and made sure he was a qualified candidate, he would have been dismissed.
 
But officers who are fired may also be rehired by another department, as their past isn’t always viewed, as long as they qualify for the positive aspects and not mention the bad, they could just as easily be hired again. An investigation from Florida had shown that about 3% of that state’s police force had previously been fired, or had resigned instead of being dismissed, and had then moved to smaller agencies. The police officer who had shot Tamir Rice, was deemed unfit to serve, but was able to be hired again by another police department, as they did not review his personnel. Officers that participated in violence also appeared to be more likely to commit more misconduct in the future, as they had been exposed to their wrongdoings and may further be influenced to continue this. Although, this is only a small amount of people, it still means that departments aren’t completely doing their jobs in protecting the people, if these ‘bad apples’ continue to show up.

As protests continue to spread around the world, a building pressure on the police departments and politician makes its way, and may eventually make them do something, change something, properly look into cases un-biased and professionally, and bring justice to the victims and their families that have suffered. Police brutality towards African Americans is almost always a form of violent racism through excuses, and because the officers are on the side of ‘justice,’ when they commit crimes, without solid evidence, they can easily get away with it.

man
woman
they are meant to be equal
so why are men depicted as 'stronger'
why do they have more power
why are they easily noticed,
easily praised
are women inferior?
are men superior?

why does there have to be superiority?
why should gender define people?
why does gender have to be defined?

what about people who are not man or woman,
those that do not define as man or woman...
where does that leave them?

inequalities,
between man and woman.
inequalities,
between cisgender and transgender.
inequalities,
between each gender.
inequalities,
between each sexuality.

– Written by Emma Ryan

HAPPY NOW ?

Written by Emma Ryan

Willow’s POV
I’ve always felt like I've been misplaced. I'm like a goldfish swimming in a tank full of sharks. Everyone’s so scary, and they’re trying to make me like them. They’re trying to make me scary, but I don't want to be. I don’t want to make people feel like they’re existence is wrong, I don't want to make anyone feel like how I've felt my whole entire life. 

I don’t like men, but everyone around me who are girls, ‘like me,’ do.
I never understood what this meant, I didn’t know where this would leave me. I wondered how to search for help when no one else except for me needed it. 

For some time of my life, it was as if there was another part of me that was already a shark, trying to force stereotypical habits upon myself, upon the part of me that wouldn’t change, because it’s not that easy.

I told myself I liked that boy.
I told myself that she was just a friend.
I told myself never to think twice about how I felt about her.

But, every single time, I did what I told myself not to do. I just couldn’t change.
I spent countless days and nights trying to ‘fix’ myself. One time I tried telling my mother about my feelings, and she told me how disgusting people who liked others of the same gender were. She told me straight to my face, if i were to ever be one of them, she would abandon me. So, I've lived my life in fear, constantly feeling as if I’d disappoint the people I care about further than I already have. I’ve ignored what I want, and what makes me comfortable, for others to be less judgmental. And still, it never works. People are always looking to better themselves through making others feel worse.

Third Person’s POV
It was the end of a typical school week, and Willow was still dumbfounded with the request to hang out with someone she once was close with; Bethany. During the middle of the week, Beth had randomly come up to Willow and said she wanted to hang out with her, just like in primary and middle school. The two had technically spent their whole lives together, they were thought to be inseparable. But Beth grew up, she gained popularity, she had everything handed to her, but she didn’t really change. Beth still adored Willow, she still wanted to be friends with Willow, but Willow pushed her away through paranoia that Beth would out her, despite their closeness and all they’ve been through together. After a year or two of evading close friendships, and reaching out to others, Willow finally accepted that she really needed someone. And like usual, nothing ever went right for Willow, she thought Beth would still be there for her as she used to be, but she was wrong yet again.
They went out to the city like they used to almost everyday after school, it was as if nothing had changed, and they were back to normal again.

“I need to tell you something Beth…” 

“Yeah go ahead”

“I’m- uh... I like girls...”

“I know.”

“WHAT?”

“It’s obvious Lo. I was your best friend. At first I was upset that you wanted to throw away a ten year old relationship, but as I started spending more time with other people, I realised how creepy you act towards girls.”

Willow immediately felt drained, physically and mentally. She felt immensely guilty for distancing herself from all of the people who really cared about her. She seriously thought everything would be fine if she was alone. She had a chance to feel loved and welcomed by at least one person and she threw it away without even realising. But what was worse to her, was that someone knew about her sexuality. One person could turn everyone against her. It was no surprise to her that as soon as she showed up at school, people started calling her homophobic slurs, whether it was under their breath or directly to her face. Willow lost the right to come out to someone, to tell someone about her sexuality when she wants to. She lost the right to feel comfortable and welcomed, well, she never really did in the first place. But she felt worse than she ever had. She felt so alone, there was literally no one who cared about her, no one to make her feel at least a tiny bit better. She had been outed by the one person she thought would never, and now the whole school knew what was not theirs to know.

Bethany's POV
She deserved it. What I did wasn't wrong. She deserved it. After everything she put me through, her disgusting-self deserved it. I hate her. I hate her, I swear I do. She's a monster. She's a horrible person. She deserved it. Everyone hates her, she deserved it. But why... Why do I feel so sad?

Willow's POV
It’s so easy to be replaced. It’s so easy to mean something to someone, and suddenly you’re not. It’s so easy to make someone feel like they don’t matter. I did have friends, and sure, I wasn’t the closest with them, but they made me feel less lonely, they made me feel loved when I was with them. But when I was alone, everything just hurt. They were a distraction, because everything felt horrible without a distraction. And now, I have to carry that pain every single second of every single day. Maybe I should listen to them. Everything hurts so much. If I listened to them, they would finally be happy... Right?