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My rant on mass shootings, Roe v. Wade, voter suppression and AAPI hate crimes

Disclaimer for this episode: You may be offended. You may not like what I have to say, but I need to say it. All the feelings that I am expressing are my own. They don’t represent any of the organizations I work for or with – these are MY thoughts and opinions.

I’m pretty fucking angry. There are times when expletives are necessary. Now is one of those times.

My anger has been building from each news cycle and legislation disappointment over the past couple of months. I am inundated with emotions and feelings that I can’t keep a track of. I’m not even sure where to begin.

In no particular order:
Roe v. Wade, mass shootings, anti-Asian hate, the war in Ukraine, Don’t Say Gay, voter suppression, and our education system is under attack… the sad part of this is that there are more things happening that I can’t even begin to address.

I don’t know how parents get up in the morning and send their kids to what we call the school in Florida. Setting aside the fear of their children being killed in a mass shooting (more on this later) Florida’s Governor and Legislature passed the Don’t Say Gay Bill which prohibits teachers from allowing kindergarten to third-grade children to receive any instruction or conversation about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Studies have shown that LGBTQ youth already face higher health and suicide risks than their cisgender or straight peers. When those kids are given access to spaces that affirm their gender identity, they report lower rates of suicide attempts, according to The Trevor Project.*

They also passed the “Stop WOKE act” bill which will prohibit corporate training and school lessons that make people ‘uncomfortable’ about the actions of their ancestors. I don’t understand how this can even be determined? Who gets to decide what constitutes if someone feels bad? History is a fact. We should feel bad if the actions of our ancestors warrant those feelings. We can learn to be better than our ancestors. We should learn from our history, not avoid it.

Education is already too focused on standardized testing, memorizing dates, and regurgitating facts versus critical thinking or teaching kids how to communicate through meaningful conversation.

A separate issue from discussing race and racism is history inclusion. Over the last year, Make Us Visible Florida has been advocating for AAPI history in our schools. We are not asking for anything special. We are demanding inclusion. Our state currently mandates Holocaust studies, African American studies, Hispanic Heritage and Women’s contributions. So why are Asian American and Pacific Islander studies excluded?

It’s been angering to see all of these other laws passing that are meant to divide us and our bills for AAPI history inclusion didn’t even see the light of the House of Representatives. A bill that focuses on public safety for our kids and community. AAPI history inclusion would help so many people see that Asian Americans are American.

A lot of the discussions I had during AAPI Heritage month brought to my attention the fact that many Asian Americans did not embrace their heritage and identity until college. I believe one of the reasons is because we never saw ourselves reflected in the textbooks growing up or represented positively in the media. We didn’t feel American because we have been erased from the narrative.

The next generation of children deserves to see themselves reflected in history. Their peers should recognize that Asian Americans are not some exotic people that do not belong. All black indigenous people of color have to undergo these feelings of not being ‘American’ enough. Many people try to divide us and pit us against one another.

What does it mean to be American?

What does America look like?

When I look around, I see diversity and people from all backgrounds. The America I live in is not just one color.

I also had an insightful conversation with Dr. Helen Hsu and Dr. Catherine Teotico on the high rate of suicides in the AAPI community. There are so many reasons for this tragic fact, but instead of ranting about it here, please listen to that conversation this week.

If you are against seeing the elderly being attacked in the streets or women being followed and brutally beaten, please consider speaking out against these crimes and advocating for AAPI history inclusion as a long-term solution. We often feel helpless when we see these acts of violence, but we are not. I’ve said it before and I’ll keep repeating myself: Every action matters. You can help the situation in your own way. Find one that works for you. Volunteer, donate, listen and learn…and mainly VOTE. I’m going to leave a list of people who actually supported our bills in Florida on my blog post.

Make a note of who they are and be an informed voter. Do not vote on party lines. Vote for the people who support the causes you believe in. Vote for the people that listen to their constituents, because I can tell you from calling those Representatives, that many of them do not listen or care.

The Supreme Court is very likely going to overturn Roe v. Wade. I’m trying to contain myself for this part of my monologue. Many of you know that I shared my story on childhood sexual abuse after the Kavanaugh hearings. The #metoo movement also motivated me, but the catalyst was seeing Christine Blasey Ford being attacked for her bravery.

I knew that once Kavanaugh sat on the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade was in danger. The untimely passing of the great Ruth Bader Ginsberg only solidified these fears. With the majority in the Supreme Court being ultra-conservative I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be fighting for reproductive justice and the fear of overturning Roe v. Wade might become a reality.

I recall conversations with friends after Kavanaugh was confirmed that it would ‘never happen’. I had hoped, but I know once a liar always a liar. Kavanaugh lied that he would not overturn Roe v. Wade in the same way he lied about his sexual misconduct. I’m not letting Neil Gorsuch off the hook either. He is also a liar.

It baffles me that people took to the streets to protest when asked to wear a mask to protect themselves and those around them, yet they have the audacity to believe they have a right to tell a woman what to do with their body.

I’m not going to sit here and go on and on about all the hypocrisy and why it is wrong because I realize it does not matter. Regardless of what I say, if you have made up your mind on this subject – I am not going to change your opinion.

So WHY am I ranting about it? Selfishly, this is making me feel better. Writing and speaking about it is an outlet for me. In addition, I hope that I can at least encourage you to VOTE for the people who are acting in our best interest. If you think you are powerless to see change, you are wrong. If you are upset by seeing hate crimes and women’s rights being taken away then do something about it. VOTE in your best interest. I am going to be really repetitive – do not vote on party lines. Vote for those who have proven they are fighting for women’s rights, equality, the improvement of education, and the safety of our community.

Safety. Parents out there, do you worry about the safety of your kids in school?

When I turn on the news and see a mass school shooting, I don’t feel kids are safe.
When I see a church of senior citizens being killed by a gunman, I worry for the safety of my parents.
When a grocery store mass shooting occurs, I don’t feel safe.

Why do we prioritize guns over humans? I am so fucking angry.

Other countries have changed their laws and prevented further mass shootings. Why do we not follow their example? Oh, because it is our ‘right’ to bear arms.
Isn’t our right to live?
Isn’t our right to breathe?
Isn’t our right to feel safe sending our kids to school?
Isn’t our right to go grocery shopping without fear?

I live in Florida. It’s an open carry state. After the pandemic and seeing the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, one of the first things I did was enact active shooter training for my team. Not only are we seeing more hate and divisiveness, but we have untrained people with guns openly carrying. This is legal.

Teaching our kids about AAPI history is not included in our state mandate, but openly carrying a gun is allowed in Florida. Does anyone else see a problem here?

How many more people have to die? It’s bleak and pessimistic, but my husband and I were talking about the Uvalde shooting and he said that nothing will change especially because the kids were Hispanic. If Sandy Hook didn’t change anything, why would this?

It’s sad but true… but it doesn’t have to be. We can do something. We can VOTE for people who are pushing for better gun safety and control. NO ONE has said anything about taking away all guns. We realize that will never happen here. Why can’t we do better?

Instead of doing better Florida legislation is focusing on taking away women’s rights and excluding our history. It’s difficult for me to have hope and believe in our community when we continuously vote for people in office that are making these decisions.

Voter suppression is real… don’t let them win. Do not let them silence us!

November is only a few months away. I can, unfortunately, guarantee there will be more shootings, attacks on Asian Americans, and restrictions on women’s rights.

I’m not ranting to change anyone’s mind on their beliefs, because I don’t believe I can. I am ranting to get people who do not vote off their asses and turn out in November and show this nation that Florida is not comprised of racists and people who do not care about the safety of our community.

It is our responsibility to help preserve our democracy.

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