I have reservations about participating in things that are as futile as adding a ribbon to your social media profile pics. I can see a mile away when something is ripe for stores to sell at their registers for $10. Despite that, I am going to wear a safety pin.

First and foremost, I am wearing it because it is not the only thing I’m doing right now. It’s not a fashion accessory. It’s a symbol. I will not stand by and watch racists inflicting hate on children at grocery stores or misogynists taunting women about grabbing their genitals or students marching down the halls chanting Nazi garbage. These things are happening in Knoxville and we can NOT allow our community members to treat each other this way.

“Will you bail me out of jail if I punch someone in the face?”
“Only if you’ll bail me out for spraying them with a fire extinguisher.”

Second, this is something IRL instead of in our social media bubbles. While I may care deeply about what is happening in D.C. and Nashville, my primary focus right now is on how we are treating each other. This is spiraling out of control and it must stop. Safety pins won’t stop the harassment and threats. It does show frightened people that they are not surrounded by hate.

Do not ignore the monsters because they are hiding under other people’s beds. Shine bright lights on the monsters so that everyone can see them as they truly are. They’re not nice except for that little racism thing. They’re monsters.