Dear Donald Trump (or Drumpf, or whatever your name is),

As the campaign goes on, and more of my Facebook friends publicize their support for you, I find myself wanting to thank you.

As more and more people reveal their prejudices that you have publicly condoned, and my white friends express shock at the bigotry they hear, I am so, so grateful for your campaign.

As you isolate yourself from various demographics (Mexicans, Muslims, women, disabled people, POWs, Asians, black people, and many more), you affirm the words of oppressed people everywhere.

Finally, no one can deny that racism, ethnocentrism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination fester in this country, and affect millions of people every day. When you go on TV and propose a ban on Muslim people from entering this country, no one with a satellite or wi-fi connection can deny that people have prejudices against the religion of Islam and its participants. This extends to all other groups your words attack.

People keep repeating this phrase about how you say what others feel too afraid to say, and further, what other politicians won’t say. And they’re right. White people have thought the things that you’re saying out loud for years! You didn’t invent racism, Donald! You aren’t the sole cause of oppression in this country! You’ve just facilitated its growth and encouraged others to engage in hateful speech! Now that you’ve got a huge platform and lots of support, white people can be openly fucked up. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU for concretizing the issues I discuss in my column and show. THANK YOU for making people everywhere realize how bigotry thrives and is encouraged in AmeriKKKa. THANK YOU for affirming my experiences and making me feel like I’m not crazy when I discuss discrimination. Thanks to you, I know I’m right!

Furthermore, there are certain assumptions I can make about someone who supports your campaign. Either they agree with your bigoted remarks, or they’re willing to ignore them which means they don’t understand the gravity behind your statements. Either way, you’ve made it simple to decide whether or not I will get along with a stranger. Like hair gel.

Politicians used to hide behind words like “heritage” and “history” and “freedom of speech” and “states rights.” Now that you’ve spouted off all the awful comments about almost every demographic, they can’t hide behind such bullshit anymore. They have to face their own prejudices they’ve worked so hard to mask.

Blatant discrimination has reared its ugly, orange, toupee-wearing head. Your ugly words have stripped the veneer of so-called “political correctness” so people can be openly prejudiced. As white people everywhere gasped, oppressed people angrily pointed their fingers at the TV and yelled “SEE?!”

So thank you, Donald. You’ve confirmed that we’ve got a lot of work to do in this country.

The idea of “decolonizing our minds” is highlighted in the writings of the author, feminist and social activist Bell Hooks. She encourages us to critically examine every thought and action, free ourselves from the coercive ideologies, and overcome the impacts of structural oppression. This bimonthly column will analyze spaces and times where and when we can pause and make strides in this arduous process, and also highlight figures who are helping us to decolonize ourselves. 

The post Decolonize Your Mind: Thank you, Donald Trump appeared first on KRUI Radio.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: Hey! My name is Logan, I am taking over this column for Ali so things will be a little different around here from now on :)

Getting asked stupid questions about my tattoos and piercings is in the top ten reasons why I have a resting bitch face.

One of the many daily struggles of having multiple tattoos and piercings is being bombarded with stupid questions. For example ever since I got my first tattoo I’ve been asked the question, “Did that hurt?” at least

once a day from some random person that proceeds to try and touch my tattoos. I understand that as

humans we are naturally curious but that does not give us the right to touch another person without their consent or ask stupid questions that you could answer yourself. Of course getting a tattoo hurts! You are getting a shit ton of tiny needles poked into your skin fifty to three thousand times per minute! But it is not an unbearable amount of pain. Do you really think I would have more than one tattoo if they really hurt that bad?

Heavily tattooed people know this struggle and we have no problem with you asking questions about our ink but please do not be ignorant about it. We do not mind if you touch them just as long as you ask first, we also do not mind if you ask the meaning behind them just as long as you do not mind if there is not one.

That is another struggle within itself. I hate when people who do not even have a tattoo say that all tattoos need to have a meaning behind them. Not all tattoos need to have some sort of deep, philosophical meaning behind them. Over half of mine I got done just because I liked the way they looked. Tattoos are an art form, I am paying the artist to put their artwork on my skin forever. It is just like going to a gallery and purchasing a painting or drawing that you love.

As for my piercings, especially my septum, I get asked more than once a day if hurt or “Why would you ever do that to yourself? No guy is going to like you with that in”. First off, why would I want to be with someone who did not like me for who I was or what I looked like? but we will

save that for a different time. Yet again of course getting my septum and nostril pierced hurt, they are putting a huge needle through my nose, but it wasn’t any worse than getting your ears pierced.

Another question I hate getting asked about my tattoo and piercings is, “How do you expect to get an actual job with those?”. Well first of all, I can cover up all of my tattoos and my piercings are not permanent. Obviously I am not going to keep my septum ring in forever, and as for my nose piercing, I know multiple older people that have very successful jobs and still have it in. More and more people are getting tattoos; in fact we are the majority now so all you people who do not have one get with the program (totally kidding, but if you are thinking about getting one just do it). It is becoming more acceptable to have them even in the workplace.

Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I am not a nice or respectable person. Tattoos do not make us ugly, irresponsible or mean. In fact all the people that I have encountered that have tattoos and

piercings are some of the kindest people I have met. So the next time you think about judging people based on their appearance or asking them questions that may make them angry or disrespected just don’t do it. Please and thank you.

The post Reasons for the Resting Bitch Face appeared first on KRUI Radio.