Silence & consent

Sometimes when I am gramatically lacking tools to describe social constructs that lead to social realities I talk about “them” and “us”.

In a culture where silence is being considered as consent I am not suprised about disciplinary measures that target muslim communities and other racialised people.

I am not suprised about people of this culture for constantly suspecting their religious/ethnic other. For constantly expecting them to condemn this and condemn that. I am not suprised that such a culture attacks people for things they did not say rather for things they did say.

Moralistic, psychological warfare then becomes something that almost never helds white people accountable for racist stuff they say and do, while it silences as socially kills the Person of Color for things (s)he/they did not say.

Because the white self is associated with human rights. With high moral standards, with ‘enlightenment’, rationality, with progress, and other virtues. Because the Person of Color is being associated with barbarism, terrorism, lack of self reflexion, emotionality.

In a culture where silence is being considered as consent I am not suprised by people trying to silence us.

“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” -Zora Neale Hurston-

So they can carry on with killing us. Socially. Physically.

In a culture where silence is being considered as consent I am not suprised by men raping women because ‘they didn’t resist enough’.

As in racism and patriarchy are highly interwined I am not suprised by racism working with patriarchal logics, and patriarchy working with racist logics.

Somewhere in the middle I find myself urged to talk myself out of things while my speech is only perceived as ‘of interest’ when others say so.