Dear Daily Kaos posters.
I wrote an article critical of the Black Lives Matter group who interrupted a Net Roots Nation meeting in Phoenix. I said they were rude, and I did not like that they commented mostly about Black people and the plight of Black people in the United States.
I must humbly admit that I missed their point, and I was selfish in my own thinking because I am not Black, and I believed that they were disrespecting me by not saying that my live matters too. Upon self reflection, and seeing the tragic needless death of Ms. Sandra Bland unfold at the hands of the police, I am ashamed of my words and I wish to ask forgiveness...especially to the Black commenters here.
I almost lost a friend because we argued and said some ugly things, including slurs about our respective ethnicities. As I watched this horrid thing unfold, I had to realize that had that been me in that car, a 'friendly warning' would have been offered (like the one for the White girl in the car before Ms. Bland's was pulled over) but had it been my friend, who is Black, we would be going to her funeral.
We are friendly again, but both of our prejudices and bigotry came to the surface, and was expressed out loud. Our friendship will be forever dinged by this exchange, but hopefully we will grow from it...as we are never too old to get better. They say 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'...and we ain't dead yet.
Please forgive me I humbly ask. I will try not to be so headstrong and listen and read carefully next time.
Fang hua