Okay, while I wait for my cereal to sog up (yes, I like soggy cereal), I’ve got something that I’d like to say. As I’ve seen others say, its sad that it needs to be said, but, here we are…
While I’m glad that there is some sort of discourse going on about our freedoms about whether or not we should stand for a flag, I think there are so many other bloody things we should be talking about in a country that was supposed to be made “great again”.
First of all, its a sad day when I have conversations with my wife and son (even though he doesn’t understand me so I’ll sadly have to repeat myself if we’re still headed in this direction) that we as African Americans (read: any American of color) still have to work twice as hard to get even less of half as much in this country. So many people here have the luxury to do so much more than we were ever afforded because of what our families had to work with and we work our asses off to provide for our son what non-POC kids have the luxury of having.
Its also sad that I, as a black man with family in law enforcement, still have to be weary of the one cop who may have had a bad day and see me in a car I worked my ass off for rushing home to take care of my family and decides he wants to be big and bad. Another heartbreaking thing I need to tell my son.
And let’s not forget about these big men with big guns who want to dress up as fucking ghosts and protect a piece of land that wasn’t even theirs to fucking begin with. Who call themselves patriots while using countless other flags that show they rebelled against the Union and its flag under the guise of “states rights” (which by the way was to keep slaves). Imagine having to tell your child about these cowards who want to kill you because you just don’t look like them.
So, yeah, talk about your flag. I’ll be busy talking to my son how to stay alive and provide for his family while so many people want to take that away from him as a citizen. Why being a man of color in America is a whole lot more difficult than it should be.
Keep talking about a flag….