Policy of Truth

There are days where I could wish I could relive my childhood and cherish the little things that I took advantage of. Time. Freedom. Innocence. Though I am blessed to have had such a wonderful childhood, I enjoy the advantages of being an adult as well as the things that go beyond the benefits: knowledge, femininity, maturity, and increased awareness of the world of around me.

I had a few friends over the other day, and one (shoutout to B1) mentioned how blind she was to the racial nuances of things from our childhood, a comment I eagerly agreed with. My family used to own a VHS tape titled "50 Greatest Looney Tunes Cartoons.' It was a collection featuring Looney Tunes characters like Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, and, the fan favorite, Bugs Bunny. Below was my favorite cartoon from the tape:



The dialect, the oversized lips, the buffoon-like mannerisms of the character, the crap shooting- those were all overlooked through the eyes of a child. Where we see racial stereotyping, I saw a boy being tricked by the clever Bugs Bunny. Plus, it was Looney Tunes! Looney Tunes would never intentionally incorporate racial stereotyping into their cartoons!

*crickets*

Unfortunately, maturity did not equate to being completely 'ignorance-free' and there were things that slipped through the cracks. In high school, my best friend at the time introduced me to T.O.K.'s "Chi-Chi Man" song. For someone who didn't care much for reggaeton, I loved and embraced the song. I even attempted to sing along in a faux-Jamaican accent...that was until my friend interpreted the lyrics:

"From dem a par inna chi chi man car. Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!!"

Loosely translated: Set all homosexual men on fire.

Oh.....okay.

My friend could not understand my astonishment nor my disgust. She explained how homosexuality was frowned upon (and that's putting it nicely) in Jamaica, and that it was normal, AND acceptable, for songs to contain lyrics encouraging people to murder gay individuals. Was I surprised? Yes. But at the time, I didn't know Jamaica held the title of being 'The Most Homophobic Place on Earth.' Keyword: EARTH.

As I continue to learn outside of classroom, I am forced to be even more conscious of my surroundings and history. At times, I wish I remained in the dark because it's difficult to grasp the former and present happenings in our society. It was crushing to read about the Baby Doe Law enactment given my nephew's disabilities or how, contrary to what is usually highlighted in the news, female circumcision is not only practiced in Africa, but in countries like Saudi Arabia, Australia, and even Great Britain.

The cartoon, the song, the news- all were harsh realities but needed experiences and information. I never want to be in the dark. As Benjamin Franklin once quoted "Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn."

Wait, can I quote Ben Franklin? He owned and sold slaves. But he was an abolitionist too...right? Ugh, this life...