Thank you racist folks!

All the racists finally forced me back to write shit about them. Yes, I am back. A lot happened in my personal life while I was inactive. I had already hinted at health problems in the family but there was also a car accident. Luckily, my dad is okay but now we don’t have a car. Also, I am in school and it is crazy hectic. So, yeah with all the crappy things in life, I just didn’t want to blog. Oh, and I also forgot my password. Yeah, I am ashamed. But, now back to the racists. First, the new Miss America is of Indian descent. Yeah, go Nina Davaluri. Oh, wait some people were jealous and decided to display all their ignorance. Then, a Sikh-American professor from Columbia University gets beaten up by bunch a racist assholes. In both cases, racist idiots thought Brown people=Terrorists. Let me tell you one thing, you scumbags (I mean the racists, not the sweet readers) brown does not equal terrorist. There was also a real terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya and guess what, a bunch of innocent civilians died. Some of the victims had brown skin. I know, this might seem like a revelation but brown people are also victim of terrorism. Oh, and not all of us are Muslim. Even if someone is Muslim, it doesn’t automatically mean they are terrorists. Muslims are victims of terrorism too. Yup, it’s true. Sorry to burst your bubble. If you still do not believe me, then you are a racist douchenozzle who deserves to lick Hitler’s poop in Hell.

The End

George Zimmerman is “not guilty”

I am not happy with the verdict. But, let’s stop blaming the jurors. We don’t know what instructions they got from the judge and it is not easy to be a juror. Remember that the prosecution job is to convince them that Zimmerman was guilty without reasonable doubt. They failed to do so. Rather than getting angry at jurors, defense lawyers or the judge, we should be angry at ourselves. What type of society are we living in where a young black teen is seen as a threat? Let’s look at our own hidden biases first before blaming other people.

The curious case of Boston Bombing Suspects

If you are reading this, you already know that the two suspects were identified as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. One of the suspects is dead after a shootout where he killed an MIT police officer. The other is on run, armed and dangerous.

They both hail from Chechnya which has a long, turbulent political history. When the FBI released the pictures of suspect, the most uncouth behaviour by commentators started. Some of the people on the political left hoped they were white. Some on the right hoped they were brown and Muslim. They turned out to be white and Muslim. Yes, Chechens are white according to U.S census. While the FBI and the Boston police were investigating and doing their job catching these perpetrators, media decided to speculate and mess up people’s lives. Hence, a Bangladeshi man was attacked by a bunch of racist dudes because you know he was brown and Muslim. Sunil Tripathi and Mike Mulugeta were misidentified as  suspects by redditors because police chatter is so conclusive? It is not. We still don’t know if Sunil is alive or not. He went missing before the bombings and his family was trying to search for him.

This is why normal citizens who are not part of law enforcement should lay off speculating. You are not a detective; you do not have the training or the skills. If you think someone is a suspect, contact the police. They follow up the tips to see if it is legit or not. Media is culpable by not vetting their sources and just making up a bunch of theories.

Hope all the people who were misidentified sue the hell out of media companies. Hope Sunil’s parents find out his whereabouts. Hope the second suspect is caught without bloodshed. We don’t need more by-standers and brave police officers losing their lives.

Update: Dzhokar Tsarnev is caught alive. Bravo to the law enforcement in United States. Their competence and professionalism more then made up for the kerfuffle caused by the media.

Selena Gomez, Bindi and Cultural appropriation

So, Selena Gomez wore a bindi during her MTV Awards performance. A Hindu group in America released this statement:

The bindi on the forehead is an ancient tradition in Hinduism and has religious significance,” Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told WENN (via MSN). “It is also sometimes referred to as the third eye and the flame, and it is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol … It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed.”

I don’t know. They are right that she is culturally appropriating bindi. A pop star wears a bindi and it becomes a fashion statement. But when my mom who is Hindu wears a bindi, it becomes something alien and strange. Suddenly it is that strange Indian lady with a weird red dot. Look at her not trying to assimilate to Canadian culture. On the other hand, it is just a bindi. I don’t get annoyed when people wear henna even though it is culturally important to south Asians. I guess it all comes down to respect. Try not to make other people’s religious and cultural clothing into an exotic, alien, fetishized thing. Try not to dress as an “Indian” during Halloween. Our clothing is not a costume. I don’t wear t-shirt and jeans as “costume.” If you realize that, I am happy if you spot a bindi on your forehead or Indian bangles on your wrist.

So, segregated proms are still happening in 2013

Still sick and feeling lethargic but I had to write a post when I read this Gawker piece.  According to  the article,  Georgia teens from Wilcox county are trying to raise money for an integrated prom. Apparently segregated proms that are privately held are the norm.When I read this, I was shocked.

Look, I know racism and bigotry is still happening and as a person of color, I experience it. But, why allow such a situation to continue?  The article says that the segregated proms are funded by parents and students. The school doesn’t hold a prom. I feel that the principal is just washing his hands off the problem. He knows the situation is wrong but doesn’t want to amend it. He could just rectify by holding a prom in the school. I see through your excuses, Mr. Principal. 

Hope these teens succeed in holding an integrated prom. At least, the teens are living in 2013 and not 1950.

Anyway, still cannot wrap my head around this. For all the racism in Canada, this will not be allowed to happen here.