My Silence Doesn’t Mean I Don’t Care

Unless you have been living in a cave deep in the forest, you already know of the protests that have swept America. The killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman has sparked international outrage — and rightly so.

Social media has been filled with calls for justice for George Floyd and for many other African Americans that have had their lives cut short by police brutality.

Social media is a force that can be utilised for major change, and has been used to rally people behind numerous causes and bring to light horrible situations around the world.

But for all its good, there is a downside. Amid all the calls for justice, there has been a poisonous spread of accusations — of how if you don’t say anything it means you do not care.

I’ve also seen such messages being spread by some of my friends. Working as a digital marketeer and handling social media accounts, I have learnt to shut off hateful messages and move on.

I’ve done as much whenever I see these sorts of accusatory messages pop up on my Instagram stories, I let them have their time and move on. Until recently, when a friend engaged me directly and I could not look away. I was asked;

“Why are you so quiet about BLM? Do you think some kangaroos matter more than racism?”

The latter half of that question alludes to my active campaigning for donations to wildlife hospitals during the devastating Australian bushfires at the start of the year. And to answer that question directly, do I think the lives of kangaroos matter more than racism? No I do not.

There are 2 main reasons why that question angered me.

First, it implies that some issues matter more than others. The way it was phrased strongly hinted that he felt that the Australian bushfires mattered less than the Black Lives Matter movement.

Think about the number of issues the world is facing. From environmental disaster, to the extreme poverty some countries find themselves in. Or how about overpopulation? Or the Rohingya crisis? Or animal abuse? Or the Hong Kong protests? Or the Chile protests? Lets not forget we are also living in the middle of a pandemic right now. The list literally goes on and on.

Imagine how depressing and draining it would be for anybody to care so deeply and act on every single one of these issues. The expectation that everyone needs to “do something” for “everything” is unrealistic.

Think about it this way. You’re in school and there are thousands of other people in there with you, do you care deeply for every single one of them?

By implying that certain issues are more important than others does a huge disservice to the people who work hard to take action against the many different troubles that plague the world. Wildlife activism is a cause I care deeply about, and for him to use it to shame me in such a way was absolutely disgusting.

Secondly, the idea that my general silence on the matter seems to mean I do not care about racism.

I live in a country that wears racial harmony like a medal of honour. It is a big part of the country’s identity and all things considered, things aren’t as bad as they are elsewhere. But that’s not to say racism doesn’t exist.

Race matters are very heavily policed here, say something the government doesn’t agree with and you could get incarcerated. Minorities would argue that what we truly have isn’t racial harmony, but racial tolerance.

Being of a minority race, I have dealt with racism most of my life. Even from the very friend that posed that question to me. He had once told me to “stop being sensitive” when I called him out for his racist statements, and that I should be “thankful that I can’t get shot for my skin colour”.

People have told me to “bleach my skin” if I want to be “beautiful”. I’ve been told that I would have been the “perfect” partner if only I was a different race. The term “you people” has been used on me in reference to my skin colour. Race stereotypes have been used at my expense for jokes, even when they are not true.

The experience of being the only one to not understand a language everyone is conversing in, despite the fact that we can all speak in English — it’s a very common minority experience here.

And those are just the more obvious racist things that have been flung my way. I have heard so many racist statements about other races it is honestly appalling that people think them.

Racism has affected me on a very personal level and I have always fought against it. I call out people for racist behaviour and statements, even if it makes things awkward. It might have ruined some friendships for me, but the greater good calling out such behaviour does outweigh the loss.

I’ve called out strangers for racist behaviour levied towards other people. I’ve called out family members, I’ve called out even teachers.

It angered me that my friend would even ask me “why are you so quiet about BLM? Do you think some kangaroos matter more than racism?” because it negates all the quieter ways I’ve fought racism through most of my life, even against him.

I will admit, compared to the campaigning I did for the Australian bushfires, my activism for Black Lives Matter has been a lot quieter. But that does not mean I do not care. I’ve shared on social media links to petitions and donations. I’ve signed every petition that has come my way for the cause.

I chose to fight this fight quietly and not to make a show of it. My “crime” wasn’t that I was silent, but that I was not loud enough.

I have always fought racism by speaking out against it. And sure, it might not always change the mind of the person I’m speaking directly to but the people around will see and hear. And they will hopefully learn too.

Activism is not about what hashtag is trending on social media. It is the hard work that people put in to bring change. Sometimes these actions are as small as signing a petition, sometimes it is as big as a march.

No one issue matters more than another, do what you can when you can. Don’t believe the illusion that you must be loud to show you care. Shaming someone for not “speaking up” or for being quieter about certain issues does not make you more of a person, it is blatant virtue signaling.

Don’t tell me I don’t care just because I didn’t post one black square on one Tuesday.