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Dear Presidential Candidates: Tweeting is (Literally) the Least You Can Do to Address America's Race Issues

7/8/2016

 
Like many Americans, I am horrified by what has unfolded in this country over the last several days: the killing of Alton Sterling in Louisiana, the killing of Philando Castile in Minnesota, and now the killings of police officers in Dallas. 

I don't know that I can add anything profound to the conversation at this point, but I wanted to say something rather than just staying silent. I think it's vitally important for this nation that we both have this conversation and, ultimately, move beyond it and into actively working to change where we are. There's no doubt the conversation is complex (race, class, power, justice, guns . . .) and there's no doubt that it will be hard to have. It will be a lot of work to dig ourselves out of where we are. But we have to do it: it's not going to fix itself.

Leadership requires something more than reacting. As I am writing this, I have seen nothing resembling leadership from those that our major political parties will nominate as their candidates for president. This is troubling.

From Clinton, we got a tweet characterizing the killing of Philando Castile as a "tragedy." At least that was something: from Trump, we got a tweet about the use of a six-pointed star on the cover of a book about the Disney movie Frozen. (Update: according to this Wall Street Journal piece, Clinton will address the shootings in a speech later today).

It's no secret that social media has played a powerful role in spreading information and influencing the debate about issues of race in this country. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have made it possible to shine a light on things many Americans would like to pretend don't exist. Well, they do exist. Now what are we going to do about it?  Alone, most of us are very limited in our ability to marshall resources to effect change. Our leaders, conversely, are in a much stronger position. And this is why they have to lead.  Tweeting is not leading. It is, quite literally, just about the least they can do.

I'm imagining both of our major presidential candidates doing the calculus to figure out what they can say in this situation to help themselves get elected. Maybe I'm wrong and that's not what they're doing. Maybe they're doing some hard thinking and not just lost in triangulation. But it troubles me that my expectations, correct or not, are so low. The issues that we have to face and address are not simple. They will require more than 140 characters.

A year ago, I was on the road with my daughter on the way to an Against Me! concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In our hotel room on the morning of July 10, we watched the lowering of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina State House live on CNN. That symbol was retired from that location as a direct result of the race-motivated mass shooting in Charleston in mid-June. It  made me very hopeful to see that flag come down from the capitol of my soon-to-be home. Not everyone here feels that way: the South Carolina Secessionst Party plans to hold a flag-raising rally on the State House grounds this Sunday (the anniversary of the flag removal).

Although I'm not sure what, exactly, I can do or say to be part of a solution in this country, I do know that staying silent and pretending we don't have a problem isn't going to cut it. Neither is simply tweeting condolences or outrage. It is not responsible for me to just do nothing. It's important that we take real steps to grapple with these issues, and it's fair to ask our wannabe leaders to show some leadership.
Gina Torresso
7/8/2016 08:51:33 am

Thank you Andy White.

Heather link
7/8/2016 12:42:17 pm

This whole situation is sad .I'm not sure what to say either. I wish we could all just care about each other's as human beings.Im sadden everytime I drive past the hill as you come into AL that has Sons of the Confederacy adorned with the Confederate flag. We also do not need a leader who divided us .That is all.

Phillip
7/8/2016 11:04:45 pm

Thank you for the post Andy. No matter how complicated or difficult, a conversion is needed, to lead to some kind action . We dont send representatives to D.C. to pray and tweet, but that is ALL we get, particularly here in the South.
I know the solution to this nonsense violence is not obvious, or easy. Pointing fingers based on party affiliation and praying, are not the starting point to that solition.

We need equal empathy...
Thank you again Andy

Rose McDonald
7/12/2016 10:37:55 pm

Thank you. Your comments needed to be said, and need to be repeated over and over until people stop being afraid to speak up and speak out.
There is a growing sense in America that is reminiscent of the very early days of the civil rights movement. People are beginning to realize that this racial divide can't be ignored, that those moments of silence, however well-meant, are not enough. That we can't continue to look the other way when our brothers and sisters are in pain. So, yes, Tweets are not enough. We need to open a dialogue.


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