This is a response to the piece by a Daily Kos staffer titled: 'I want you to promise not to kill us': A worried liberal writes a letter to his neighbors
The Kos staffer published a letter written by his friend. Here’s the opening:
To my Republican neighbors:
The election is coming and there is a growing possibility you will kill me and my family because we are liberals and leftists. I want you to promise not to kill us and I want you to do it now.
Maybe you think you would never kill anybody; think again…
The missive rattles on for a total of just under 500 words.
Frankly, I have to wonder why the staff approved this piece since the staffer was using his position to do a friend a favor. And now his friend has republished his letter on Medium (I choose not to provide a link) and I’ve seen other sites are picking it up via Daily Kos.
Clearly, I’m in the minority of those who reject the intent of this letter because the piece has over 200 recommendations as I type this.
After making several comments critiquing the letter, I went to do some chores yet it still nagged at me.
And then I realized why -- a white liberal professor living in a reliably blue area of Orlando, FL, has totally failed to see the obvious:
Dear Neighbor,
Black people live with the fear of being killed simply because of who they are, 24/7. Recent events indicate they’re not even safe in their own beds. Their fear dates back to the dawn of this country.
And you come along hand-wringing over the possibility that your republican neighbors will kill you, urging them to promise not to do so by citing studies from your ivory tower, underscored with the most ridiculous white privilege mansplaining I’ve ever come across.
Not only do you epitomize the “liberal elite” stereotype scorned by conservatives, did you consider that your letter, which you proudly published on two sites so far, may put Black lives in danger? While your life — as always — is perfectly safe?
Oh course, you didn’t. You’re incapable of making the connection in spite of your doctorate degree.
Other than paying lip service to BLM, the institutionalized murder of Black people doesn’t touch your life in any way.
As a result, it wasn’t front of mind when you wrote your ridiculous, disingenuous, self-promoting letter — disguised as an effort to persuade republicans not to kill you — but rather a public performance of a man seeking attention.
Considering your location, of which I am familiar, you know the chances that one of your neighbors will shoot you are zero to none.
But now your letter is being republished by other news sites.
I truly hope your 15 minutes of fame is worth risking others’ lives.
Black lives.
Shame on you.
Signed,
A White Woman Liberal in Central Florida
