Blurb

As the 20th anniversary of the first Spice Girls single is upon us (in conjunction with the talk of late about the socially constructed notion of race in relation to how people are perceived and treated) I remembered something.

In my stupid girl clique of 5th grade, we all were labeled a certain Spice Girl. I was Scary Spice. The reason my friends sorted me this way? My fluffy hair (I had super curly locks thanks to my dad getting my curly hair layered against my mom's wishes). And I accepted it no problem, even though Mel B was black, and I very clearly was not. (My high school friends called me transparent because of how white I was compared to them, which I always laughed at.)

My point? That hate is taught. I never saw a difference with Mel B, let alone one existent because of skin. Going deeper, I never saw my friends for their color, just their similar interests and ability to be friends with a lowly dork like me. I made stupid ass race jokes in 9th grade after 9/11 (not my shining moment and a time I acknowledge exists in my evolution as a person).

There are a million things I can say, and I probably will tomorrow. For now, I just want to point out how biases are stupid social constructs that stem from the inability of people to recognize that differences are not scary, are not stereotypes to help us form opinions that allow us to paint a brush over many individuals. And yet they keep resulting in the deaths of human beings labeled quickly as anything but in the minds of the ones pulling the trigger.

Black lives matter. (All lives do, but I understand the frustration that people with dark skin are thrown aside so often, their voices ignored.)

Violence against law enforcement in general is wrong. Those cops in Dallas were doing their jobs.

People who can see both sides, empathize with them, are labeled a threat along with the people so tired of being ignored. People like Joe Walsh (failed one-term congressman from Illinois who lost his seat to real patriot Tammy Duckworth) only stand for hate and ignorance.

I thought this to myself earlier: We're not listening to their voices. Soon, we won't be able to ignore their gunshots. And that is not an acceptable answer for anyone.