Being Ignorant is No Excuse To Be Tone Deaf
So...most of us are either incredibly angry, not surprised, or a combination of both at the recent Pepsi commercial that came out. For those who haven't seen it, it's Kendell Jenner leaving a shoot for something, probably a pictorial. Model and all. She then joins a protest, but instead of sticking with the people who are trying to get their voices heard and make a point, she hands a Pepsi to a policeman who smiles and that's how the commercial ends.
I don't know what Pepsi was going for. Saying that the only way to make things better is to work with the police? I'm not sure. But the commercial comes off very tone deaf and as if not only Pepsi but Kendell missed the entire point of Black Lives Matter and every other police targeted movement. But that's the thing, isn't it? It's so easy as a privileged rich model or a multi billion dollar company, you just can't see things from our point of view. You'll never fully understand.
But that's no reason to not try and understand.
When it comes down to it, the country is basically split down the middle right now. In many ways. But one of the biggest dividing topics is police brutality. Because there are people who have never been discriminated against simply because of who they are. They've never been targeted and almost beat to death, or threatened, or questioned because of the color of their skin or their religion. And because of that, they automatically think that if you're targeted by the police that you're obviously doing something wrong and that we all need to get on our knees and beg all the police officers to have mercy on us and thank them for protecting us.
Now, I'm not one to thank someone for doing what they're supposed to do. Our taxes pay for you to do your job. That's thanks enough. No one forced you to become a police officer, that was your choice and if you can't do your job without being a jerk, then maybe this isn't the career for you. I'm especially not going to thank someone for unjustly killing people and trying to play victim when they get called out on it.
I just wish at least some people would hear us out when we say that. But as this situation shows, there's very little hope of that happening. No matter what, there will always be this perception that police are the pinnacle of virtue and anyone who goes against them in anyway or questions them is a demon or an ungrateful worm.
It's tiring and I'm confident in saying we're all tired of it. At this point too many things have happened and if you can't see what's going on, you're choosing to not see it. You're choosing to let the blatant issues continue.
I don't know what Pepsi was going for. Saying that the only way to make things better is to work with the police? I'm not sure. But the commercial comes off very tone deaf and as if not only Pepsi but Kendell missed the entire point of Black Lives Matter and every other police targeted movement. But that's the thing, isn't it? It's so easy as a privileged rich model or a multi billion dollar company, you just can't see things from our point of view. You'll never fully understand.
But that's no reason to not try and understand.
When it comes down to it, the country is basically split down the middle right now. In many ways. But one of the biggest dividing topics is police brutality. Because there are people who have never been discriminated against simply because of who they are. They've never been targeted and almost beat to death, or threatened, or questioned because of the color of their skin or their religion. And because of that, they automatically think that if you're targeted by the police that you're obviously doing something wrong and that we all need to get on our knees and beg all the police officers to have mercy on us and thank them for protecting us.
Now, I'm not one to thank someone for doing what they're supposed to do. Our taxes pay for you to do your job. That's thanks enough. No one forced you to become a police officer, that was your choice and if you can't do your job without being a jerk, then maybe this isn't the career for you. I'm especially not going to thank someone for unjustly killing people and trying to play victim when they get called out on it.
I just wish at least some people would hear us out when we say that. But as this situation shows, there's very little hope of that happening. No matter what, there will always be this perception that police are the pinnacle of virtue and anyone who goes against them in anyway or questions them is a demon or an ungrateful worm.
It's tiring and I'm confident in saying we're all tired of it. At this point too many things have happened and if you can't see what's going on, you're choosing to not see it. You're choosing to let the blatant issues continue.
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