My reason for joining may seem strange and contradictory but be patient with me. I believe that the bannings and rate removals were fair. They may have felt unfair and disproportionate to many but I have seen a great deal of abuse of the rating system and people I deeply care about accused of racism, in fact writing this diary has hurt those very same people. It is hard to know that I have hurt people by doing this. I hope those who understand that, will consider that with my decision. It is not an easy one.
Having said that, I also believe those who were banned should be reinstated because their voices are valuable and important to the conversation. Their reinstatement should be conditional on better behavior and treatment of their fellow Kossacks, and that they should be treated just as anyone would be treated when they abuse the rating system and their fellow human beings with words.
I also want people to understand why their is so much anger in the air, from so many people, especially those of color who have lived with this racism, from every second of their lives, something that I cannot understand or know. I cannot understand the anger because it is not my anger, but I have most certainly tolerated much anger from the black community for the countless injustices dealt to them over the decades. (I cannot embrace anger, but how can I, a white woman, tell anyone not to be angry about RACISM, or homophobia, or any other unfairness dealt to another human being, it is not my place).
I just want to see how we speak to each other change, I would like to see some more tolerance, not of racism, I am not saying that we should tolerate racism. But we need to change how we talk to each other. I do not believe that the racist words used against Obama are to be tolerated nor those against people of color on Daily Kos. I also believe we should give those who walk the line, those who may have said something that could be taken the wrong way and who maybe just spoke hastily be given the benefit of the doubt.