Boycotting Ignorance (written on Nov 7th 2008)

In response to the attack on Congresswoman Gifford yesterday,  I’m posting a note I wrote on November 7th 2008 on Facebook.

Boycotting Ignorance

by Reed T. Curtis on Friday, November 7, 2008 at 8:28pm

To my fellow “friends”:

Over the past few days I have been taken aback. After a hard fought election there is bound to be disappointment. However, since the evening in which one of the most historic and beautiful moments in our nation’s history occurred, I have been shocked by my “friends” behavior and attitudes. Yes, Obama won, yes, he may bring change you might disagree with, and yes your candidate lost the election. However, the comments written in facebook statuses have utterly proved one thing: I associate myself with a slew of racist, ignorant, and unloving people. While I am perfectly capable of distinguishing one’s actions from one’s character, I have to say I am done with putting up with the ignorance I have seen. I have seen “friends” state:

“We just elected the Antichrist”
“Oh well, he will just get shot”
“Great, give the terrorist the nuclear codes”
“Wait and in 4 years see how f-ed up our life is because of Obama”
“if I was a forefather I would run back to England”
“they elected a dune co**”
“the white house is now ghetto”
“if Obama can’t change America maybe he can at least nig***-rig it”
“I think that Obama is like Hitler and is truly evil. “

And the examples go on and on and on. I actually suggest that everyone that reads this takes time to make a comment below with your collection of ignorant status comments. I would like to start an archive to show just how remarkable the true colors of “friends” are.

Regardless of your political beliefs, the fact of the matter is we have a new President-elect. The job of President is by far the hardest job in this world and I am disgusted by the comments I read stating Obama doesn’t love his country. First of all, your ignorance just adds to the proof that he loves the country, no one would sacrifice their personal safety, and the safety of their family if they didn’t care for the country. In fact, presidential candidates always take a personal risk for their safety. However, for this man, Barack Hussein Obama, his risks are increased by the very ignorance that I have seen this week. I have “friends” that insinuate that this man is a terrorist (a claim that brings with it hatred and encouragement of violence against those labeled as such), a Muslim (see previous, however, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being Muslim), a radical socialist (a claim that is so absurd I refuse to describe the uneducated nature of such an attack), and the Antichrist (an attack so disgusting I want to vomit).

I’d like to remind the readers that when Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking about his dream, the same ignorance screamed from the mouths of racists that called him a radical communist. In addition, it was the same religious zeal that led racists to argue that civil rights for African Americans were the works of Satan. It was Strom Thurmond himself that spent countless hours reading the bible out loud during his filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. It was also the bible that was used to argue against women suffrage, the abolition of slavery, and currently is fighting to continuously remove the inalienable rights that one’s “forefathers” wrote about, aka: gay rights/marriage. It is this same ignorance that has been touted as holy, yet has been found to be hatred each and every time. Yet, some of my “friends” subscribe to it. I assure you: your ignorance has spoken, and I for one have decided to take action to get rid of it from my life.

I welcome political debate and I actually love it. In fact, I cherish my many friendships with conservative Americans. I have great love for them and respect their right to debate and challenge my political beliefs. However, it is those that are showing their true ignorance that I will no longer associate myself with. I draw a distinction very clearly between debate and hate. If you are surprised when you are no longer my friend on facebook, don’t be. This is your notice. I am officially boycotting ignorance. Join the movement and start deleting. It is not worth my time nor energy to associate myself on facebook with those whose actions and speech would disgust me in real life.

I could care less if you think Obama will not be the best president, but you have NO right ruining the emotional and triumphant moment that many African Americans have waited for all of their lives. For you to cloak your racism by quoting the bible is dehumanizing. I would like you to start looking in the mirror and proceed with your condemnations. I have never been so disappointed with “friends” in my life. I pray, yes I pray that you find education, for no good educational experience should have allowed you to think this behavior was acceptable. It is pure hate, and how dare you think I would consider you my friend despite these incessant actions. I forgive, but you have work to do.

This is the start of my boycott, feel free to join.

–Reed

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