4 months since George Floyd was murdered by members of the Minneapolis Police Department.
6 months since Breonna Taylor was murdered by members of the Louisville Metro Police Department.
And just three weeks since Jacob Blake was shot in the back by members of the Kensoha Police Department. 2 days later 2 demonstrators were murdered by a white teenager from Illinois. The President of the United States has failed to use these as an opportunity to address systemic racism and need for police reform and instead come to the defense of the teen. His son...sorry, it's so frustrating. The goddamn flerp that's the President's son chalked it up to being a teenager and getting into shenanigans like he's breaking curfew to cruise the local strip mall after dark with his buddies.
An apple orchard seems an unlikely hill to choose to die on, but lest you think I'm being dramatic it's the same goddamn kind of dramatic display that a Northern MN orchard- one of dozens that dot the MN landscape and are wildly popular with families in the Fall- used when it chose to use racist language to describe the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, they aped the President's language by referring to the novel coronavirus as the "Chinese Virus". And friends, I don't know if I have the time or patience today to explain to you why that language is racist.
Here's the jist: On their Facebook page, they described the novel coronavirus as the Chinese Virus. When the racist connotations were pointed out, they had your usual gamut of defenders in the comments section which were curiously cleaned up of all but those supporting the Orchard. THE NEXT DAY, the same Orchard started with a jazzy "Hey we got these kinda apples...Also we're not backing down and fuck you and your cancel culture". There was the added bits of "I am NOT racist, but I don't care that you don't want me using some other term- that's just you being oversensitive and an example political correctness run amok. MAGA!!!" Not to mention they added drivel about how if you feel unsafe you should call the cops (nope) and exercise your 2A rights (at an Orchard. Look...If you feel the need to arm yourself before hitting up an orchard, maybe you should stay the fuck home and find a less aggressive produce to take out your frustration?)
Lastly, they said they would not delete comments because they believe in exercising their 1A rights. There were, again, only positive responses. And since it's a public page it shouldn't surprise you they're taking pains to make them seem like they're *right*.
I may start to talk more in the future about nuance and binary thinking. About how one should be painfully considerate before attacking another during discourse that there is a depth to it which should not be discounted (Typically this is on both sides of the political spectrum, since the application seems to be foisted on the "us" versus "them" logic that sows discord and division- not only between parties but WITHIN parties. And to that end, quick like a bunny- Bernie sucks and he lost and people just gotta get over that boyfriend. Again. I wanted Warren and she would have been top shelf and now we need Biden to win for the fuck love.)
There's a book about it, and I'm all for that and grace etc. But there needs to be a firewall whenever someone one up's with racism. I can understand how people fail to grasp the notion of Black Lives Matter and their defense again the movement. (Less so the factual inaccuracy shared about Antifa and the concept of democratic socialism, but okay) In the case of the orchard fuckery, what these people have done isn't just failed to recognize- minimum- that the language their using is destructive toward their seasonal marketing- but that they are right. They are good for using it. Their conviction establishes a concrete and rooted, inflexible notion that they will not deviate from. They won't apologize, and they welcome you to come armed (because they *know* if you have a sidearm you are similarly on your side and present a clear and present defense against...y'know...non-whites)
This isn't a reach, folks. It's precisely an on-your-sleeve example of racism. You don't need a pointy hat or to be a white nationalist. You're looking at people who are racist, and then telling you that they aren't racist, because the language they're using isn't racist.
Because they said so. You wanna see fucking perplexed looks?. Say to someone "I'm a Christian, I don't believe in God" and if you're told "No, you're an atheist" please respond with I AM NOT DO NOT TELL ME WHAT I AM.
Or something. That's weird, right? The psychology behind using "China Virus" as a racist language has been established as fueling anti-Asian and xenophobia worldwide. And that's it. Your kids are the worst about it. I've read a bunch of parents completely heartbroken their kids have other kids cover their faces dramatically when they pass by them. Guess what? Those kids aren't white.
And kids parrot their parents. And white racist parents who pretend they aren't racist because they're just joking, or super defensive about the idea they're racist or white racist orchard owners...are just older stupid fucking children. With Facebook pages and "Likes" of support.
So yeah. I hope they die on that hill, or rather I hope the negative impact to their business presents them with an education, but in this day and age I'm less likely to believe they'll modify their behavior and just dig in deeper.
And it makes me fucking angry that it's more alien to them that I'm upset about it. That I'm weak for being so sensitive. Considerate. A considerate cancel culturer. But, I'm not. I'll just buy my apples from the Hmong family at the Farmer's Market, or patronize one of the many other Twin Cities orchard options.
Why it's RACIST to say "China Virus". The psychology.
The anti-Asian backlash during COVID 19
Better Orchard Options. (List is from 2019, so check the sites individually for their pandemic operations policy)
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