This is both a story and a question. Feel free to answer if you agree with me by the end of the story.
What would you do if you switched bodies with someone.
And I mean really switched bodies with someone.
Someone you hate
Someone not "of your kind"
Someone who "doesn't belong"
Would that change your mind
On how you perceive people?
Or would you rather die?
And I don't mean that as in
Rather die than switch bodies
I mean
Rather kill yourself because you don't have the same rights as before
The same power
The same sense of superiority that you thought you had.
Nothing has changed
In what
200 years?
And you expect us to sit and be quiet.
You don't want us to peacefully protest
You want us to shut up
So you can run what never really was yours to begin with.
And those of you
Who belong to one group or another
Each want us to walk with you
To stand with you
But you won't even sit down next to us.
At least
Not without inflicting pain
And suffering
And furthermore claiming
That You were the oppressed
Just because you want something to brag about
To feel better about yourself
And sully the lives of those who have suffered.
There's nothing fun about being oppressed.
There's nothing fun about fearing for your life
About being the next to die.
So before you even so much as look our way
Please reconsider
and really think
Because we aren't gonna hurt you the way you hurt us
We're not going to act the way you want us to,
Feeding your flames.
We don't have to.
We will be strong
And rise up
Above the hate you show
And the lives you've taken.
And we will remember them
Because no matter who you kill
They won't be silenced.
They will be remembered.
They were proud of who they were.
So are those who defend, remember and celebrate them.
And so am I.
