Oh Amy, You’re The Worst Even Though You Wore A Mask

Well unless you live under a rock you have probably seen the news about the woman in NYC that called the police after an avid birder asked her to politely put her dog on the leash.  

You may be wondering why your Black friends are mad because you mentioned the “poor” dog. Well, my white people, as a white head model for masks during a worldwide pandemic, I am aware of my privilege. I didn’t earn it, I was born this way.

My mannequin ancestors did terrible things, and while I did not do those things, I realize that I am the beneficiary of the wealth and power my mannequin foremothers and forefathers acquired at the price of their own humanity. So what can I do as a simple white lady head?

I’ll do it right here, right now. I am talking to YOU(if you’re white and reading this)

Get your head in the game. Realize that even though YOU don’t go around calling the cops on “African-American males” does not make you exempt from participating in the institutional systems that reinforce deadly racism. 

Why did Amy Cooper say, she was going to call the police and tell them an African-American male was threatening her life? Simple, because she knows what can happen when you call the police on a Black person, they can get shot and killed. She was using 911 and summoning the police to hopefully murder Christian Cooper. A man who had the audacity to ask her to put her dog on the leash. Seriously. That’s what happened. 

 If you think just because you felt bad for the dog and saying that  you felt bad for the dog doesn’t make you racist. You’re correct. You’re not racist, good white person reading this. However,you are upholding the values of white supremacy. I saw the lady choking her dog, and truth be told, I did think, what a horrible woman, what a monster choking that dog. Then I stopped and thought, why did I think about the dog before the man that is having his life threatened? Why did I comment about the dog before thinking  about the man and how she tried to murder him? WHY? 

Why didn’t I say something like: Amy Cooper just tried to have the police come be her personal murder squad… and she shouldn’t have a dog, sorry I brought up the dog like a white person, but I think we can all agree that murderous monsters shouldn’t be allowed to have pets. Or better yet? Why did I HAVE to comment? Why didn’t I just read the comments? 

Part of being actively anti-racist is interrogating your own thoughts and biases. Notice them, notice what you are saying and what kind of reaction people have. Be quiet sometimes. Don’t comment. Read what your Black & Brown friends are posting when incidents like this happen. If you don’t have any non-white friends follow some people on social media.  Listen to what they are trying to tell you. 

And this is the hardest for me to wrap my head around, it’s not about me. It’s nothing to do with Mel Before or after the pandemic. My friends are angry and sad because America is a country that was built by killing the people who were living here. Then enslaving  Africans to work the land for free while also abusing and killing them to make examples of them so they would keep working and not revolt. 

The videos where we see our brothers and sisters murdered by the police also serve as a reminder for Black people not to revolt. And Amy Cooper knew that, she knew if she threatened to call the police and if she mentioned that Christian was “African-American” and “threatening her life” they would come. She welcomed it. She wanted the police to come and teach Christian Cooper a lesson, she hoped they would come and execute him.  

Really Mel?

Yes. Any other take is the wrong take. 

And FFS, wear a mask when you go out. That was literally the only right thing Amy was doing. Low bar, but reach for it people, reach for it.