Is Aggression Really the Only Way to Fight For Equality and Justice?

Does aggression really help when it becomes the only way we address these issues?

Alex Green: Pexels

Every day I open my social media and see people being canceled and threatened for everything under the sun.

Of course, I’m not here to defend offenders. But when I see people sending death threats and insults to women for the simple crime of wearing dreadlocks or burning sage in their apartments, I start to wonder if maybe we’ve gone a bit too far?

Today, Twitter became something I avoid opening, mainly because it feels like 80% of the content I see there is centered around fights and hate speech about everything you can and can’t imagine.

I remember creating images for my Russian friends and followers, explaining what was happening in the States, and why it was so important for the rest of the world to pay attention to social injustices, even when there were so many cultural barriers that made it difficult for people from different cultures to truly understand the underlying issues. Back then, everybody united in order to educate, help, and bring awareness.

Since then, a lot has changed. I don’t see people trying to help as much as take their anger out on one another. The other day I saw a black person making a TikTok simply saying, “Imagine not being black.” Then, a few hours later someone dueted her with the same video saying, “Imagine not being white.” I might be missing something, but what kind of change and what kind of examples are we trying to set by simply tearing each other apart?

Someone’s making a simple mistake coming from a place of ignorance, not hate, and they receive death threats and insults in their comments. No one is trying to explain to a person from another cultural background why something could be hateful and why they’re receiving backlash. For instance, let’s consider a Russian girl who burned sage in her apartment and got a lot of hate at the point she removed her account.

People say it’s our responsibility to educate ourselves and not rely on others to receive our knowledge while forgetting that not everyone comes from the same country and culture. We have different backgrounds and upbringings…