Why My Facebook Friends’ Response to the Paris Attacks Enraged Me

Last Saturday morning, all of my Facebook friends were posting about Paris. Sending prayers to Paris. Supporting Paris.
However, the more I scrolled through Facebook, the more angry I became.

As I continued to scroll, I couldn’t help but think, “where the hell did all you people come from? I forgot some of you even existed! You’ve been so quiet over the years; why now? What changed? When did you all become social justice activists?”

I understand some of you may not understand this anger that I’m feeling; but I promise, I’ll explain.

Dear Facebook friends,

I think it’s time we have a talk.

Where have you been? Where was this anger when so many other people needed your support and your prayers?

Where was this anger when innocent black lives were taken violently by the hands of United States police officers? Do you even know their names? Do you know their story? Have you said their names? Sandra Bland. Eric Garner. Mike Brown. Tamir Rice. Antwan Baker. Dontre Hamilton. John Crawford. Tanisha Anderson. Freddy Gray. Why weren’t you screaming for justice, and standing in support with the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Why are you not enraged at the injustice of our justice system?

Where is this anger when members of the trans* community, especially trans* women of color, are senselessly murdered simply for existing? Where is your anger when so many people living in the United States are terrorized for not conforming to outdated, heteronormative, gender constructs? Why aren’t you shouting to the heavens and sending prayers to a large majority of our community who needs our respect and support so desperately.

Why is it, when I asked you about your opinion on the unrest at Mizzou, you looked at me like I was speaking another language. Where is your outrage and your disgust? And more importantly, why are you so unaware? Is black news not important news? The unrest at Mizzou is not a secret; I feel like I can’t get away from it. Everywhere I look, every social media site I visit, I am bombarded with articles about the racial tension in Missouri. How did you manage to escape this?

I know what happened in Paris is devastating. And while my intentions aren’t to diminish or make light of what happened in Paris; we have a few more things we need to talk about.
Tell me what you know about Beirut? Can we talk about the terrorist attacks in Beirut the night before the attacks in Paris? Where was your anger, your fear, and your prayers then? Where was the sympathy and global outrage for the people of Lebanon? Why was the only thing I saw on my Facebook feed a shared photo of a tweet that praised the bombings in Beirut. What makes Parisians victims, but the Lebanese invisible?

I think you know why.

I think we all know why you all came out of the woodwork to support Paris, but are awfully quiet about all the injustices that are effecting black and brown lives.

So please, don’t make me say it; I think we all know where you’ve been…

But Facebook friends, you don’t get to pick and choose what lives are valuable. You have no right to decided what lives are important, and deserve attention and support, and which ones don’t.

So hell yeah, I’m angry; I am so incredibly angry.

TL;DR: Dear Facebook friends,
You need to do better; be better. Be so much better.
Sincerely,
A friend.