By Anonymous High School Student
I am disgusted by members of my generation who have been outright racist, or even unbearably ignorant, as shown in the videos that have been circling social media.
These are my peers, people I talk to and see interact with people of color every day. As I scroll through my Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, I see my peers posting “Yeah it sucks that people are dying, but these riots need to stop,” and MOCKING the deaths of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality.
These posts, along with the recent events, are a reminder that we are not a country of equal freedoms for all. This is a country where the burning of a building is more offensive than the death of innocent people by our supposed protectors.
This is a country where it is tolerated for my peers to use hateful slurs, such as the n-word, and direct their horrible meanings towards other members of their communities. The people posting these videos are a huge part of the problem we are facing. They post or send hateful videos in pictures, thinking other people will find them funny.
THEY ARE NOT FUNNY.
Not only are these posts horrible, but they will greatly affect the future of every person posting and featured in these posts. As they should, many colleges have released statements saying they plan to retract their offers for admission to many of the students who have made hateful comments and posts.
However, I am beyond proud of many members of my generation, of all races, who are standing up to fight against inequality. I know peers who are outing racists, planning protests, and doing everything they can to inform the ignorant of the situation we are in. They are posting vital information on social media, not hateful words. Those are the peers who will be successful and will not struggle later in life because they chose to say something with the intent of hurting others.
To them, thank you for taking action and fighting to make this country a better place for every one of its citizens.
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