As a South Asian in a predominantly South Asian part of Canada, I have not directly experienced racism and I am quite far from the many protests going on. I do support the BLM movement but I haven’t done anything to show my support. Have I turned a blind eye?
Yes and no. If you follow the news, continue to educate yourself and support the movement, you are already doing good. However, if you stay silent, continue to associate with people who take part in the hate, and make excuses for the perpetrators, you should understand that this is unacceptable.
No, all of your friends do not need to have the exact same values as you, but would you associate with someone who supports murder? No. So why would you excuse people who contribute to the hate? Why would you excuse people who ignore that there is something fundamentally wrong with putting people down based on the colour of their skin? You can help show them that this is wrong and will not be tolerated. And if you have a platform to share your thoughts and speak your mind, you should! Whether you have five followers or five hundred, it’s important to stand up for what you believe in. After all, change starts with us.