A number of people have pointed out the unfortunate racism impacting Black people attempting to escape Ukraine. Footage of Black folks being shoved off of trains exiting battleground cities, and reports of discrimination at the border of Poland and other nations accepting refugees are deplorable.
Racism is inexcusable.
What's not inexcusable, however, is how some people on social media have used these terrible events to justify and even welcome a full scale attack on Ukraine.
Never mind that, despite Putin's claim to the contrary, Ukraine is not engaged in fascism, Nazism, or any form of state sanctioned violence or subjugation of a particular group of people, and that the racism within the country is probably no worse than what we subject our own Black and Brown citizens to right here in the U.S.
We have neo Nazis, and White Supremacists, and racially biased police, doctors, financial advisors and real estate agents. We have Black and Brown Americans who feel unsafe.
And yet, if you told me, everyone who died on September 11, 2001 deserved it because America is a racist country, I would tell you:
Fuck you.
Seriously fuck you.
And, yes, I am well aware that U.S. actions in Afghanistan created an unstable situation and how poverty and mistreatment can create distrust and extremism, and how, we “shouldn't be surprised” other nations despise us.
All true.
Still doesn't justify an unprovoked attack on civilians.
So, no matter how much you try to twist Ukraine into some horrible cesspool of awful racists, the fact remains Russia attacked without just cause.
And, furthermore, if you think in this conflict Russia is somehow the bastion of human rights, I want whatever it is you're smoking.
There is not a single country on this planet without a discrimination problem -- whether it be racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. For some these issues are cultural, others systemic, and both for others. And, many countries take the discrimination of certain groups to dangerous levels.
I hope the attacks on Ukraine will stop and a peaceful end will come soon.
I hope the country reckons with its racism and does better going forward.
I hope all residents find safety.
I hope those of us privileged to be in a free country learn to use our words to uplift rather than condemn.