Israel Uses Human Shields
Not in the way you think, but far more insidious
Human Shields
We’ve all seen this before: The “I have a Black friend” retort, always following criticism of someone’s racism. The “I have a female friend or family member” response in the face of criticism of someone’s sexism.
When looking at these phrases, are they not using human shields?
As a Black man, I always wondered if I were the one Black friend someone was thinking of when faced with criticism. If I was the one Black guy they summon in their minds when someone calls their racist behaviors out. I often wondered if there was more than one and if I was not selected in their imaginations to defend them from being held accountable.
You see, these are the reasons why I got into it. These are the reasons why I got into sociology and psychology. The things people say and the things people mean. How people think, act, behave, and speak. The things that they do when no one is looking. The things they do when certain people are not around. When I observed so many of the same behaviors from a diverse range of people, I marveled at how these…
