Monday's Opening Thought: November 15, 2021

This week's opening thought: There is never a "good explanation" for why you're racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, or ableist. I don't need to know why. Your actions and words say all they need to say. An explanation doesn't matter.

I don't need to hear how you wouldn't be racist if you didn't almost get robbed by a Black kid when you were twelve. I don't need to understand how being rebuked by women has "made you sexist." I don't need to hear how you were raised to believe in two genders and two genders only. No explanation will explain away your heinous words and actions. This ain't a Marvel movie.

No one is obligated to sit and listen to your supervillain origin story.

You are not the sympathetic party or the victim in the ways you think you are, regardless of any trauma you may be carrying in your brain and body. And believe me, if your default is hate, you are grappling with generational trauma at the very least.

Being harmed doesn't give you a pass to harm others, and it doesn't make a good base for weaving a yarn that gets people to give you a pass.

Spend less time on "why" and more time on "why am I still?"

And keep your origin story to yourself.