#safetypin

I am not into politics.  My attitude towards it, for better or for worse is:  I don't really want to know, don't have a strong enough opinion to discuss, and largely in my day-to-day life don't care.  Although this whole 2016 campaign and election has made me unhappy and discouraged, I am holding off predictions of doom-and-gloom while I wait to see what happens.  On top of that, I do not view myself as a white privileged person - which I realize is probably the very definition of white privilege.  Like it or not, this is me.

But the uptick in hate crimes from all of this?  I have a real problem with that.

I read several articles about wearing a safety pin.  It began with Brexit to show that the wearer is an ally against anyone who feels targeted by hate.  Soon after I saw several posts about how wearing a safety pin is just an empty gesture (like so many Facebook "click Like to show you're against such-and-such" posts), or a show of white privilege, or whatever.  So I sat on the fence for several days.  Last night I spoke to an acquaintance of mine who was wearing one and asked him what spurred him to add a safety pin to his attire.  I can't recall all of the details of what he said, but what sticks with me was his conviction.

I returned home, pulled out my safety pins and started adding them to my coats and hats and whatever else I wear when I leave the house.  Will it make a difference?  Who knows.  This is a promise to myself - not anyone else - that if I witness hate, I will do something about it.  I don't know precisely what; I have some generic ideas of what I could do in various situations.  I'm reading, learning.  I'll find that out what I'm capable of when it happens.  At a minimum, I want people to know I'm not cool with hateful behavior.

If this interests you and you want more information, check out What can I do?  I am still researching and considering what I want to do next.