Previously published on the author’s personal blog [January 25, 2017]
Love doesn’t trump hate. Empathy, education and care trump hate. BY PREETI DHALIWAL 34
White supremacy not only takes lives, it breaks hearts. We know white supremacy takes lives with its buddy capitalism and through its old cronies colonialism and imperialism. You see this through media captures of singular events such as police brutality and hate crimes. You might also think about or feel its endemic violence against Indigenous peoples and lands, especially if you’ve been following social media regarding #NoDAPL (to stop the North Dakota Pipeline) and #StopKM (to stop the Kinder Morgan Pipeline). But what about violence that doesn’t involve bullets, physical death or landbased conquest, but hearts, feelings and the end of relationships? (Don’t worry, this isn’t an academic essay and you don’t need a background in the complexity and historical reach of white supremacy in order to read it. You just need to be feel a little bit, once in a while—preferably right now.)
I went to the Women’s March in Vancouver this year and saw a plethora of beautiful signs, many of which said ‘Love trumps hate’ and I want to believe it’s that simple but I know that love is not enough. White supremacy is heartbreaking and it’s heartbreaking precisely because (contrary to the signs) love alone cannot trump hate—not without education, the development of empathy and a desire, willingness and ability to care.
...what about violence that doesn’t involve bullets, physical death or land-based conquest, but hearts, feelings and the end of relationships?