Debated on whether to post this, I really don’t want to start an argument. I know people are hurting and have reached their breaking point (with good reason!) but curious to see if anyone has a similar perspective/any thoughts.
I am a 3rd year student at a dental school in a major metropolitan area. Like most other cities recently, there was a well attended BLM march this past weekend that was very peaceful and well run (ignoring the whole social distancing thing…but that’s another topic). Unfortunately, like many others, it ended in rioting and looting. More than a couple cops hospitalized, cop cars destroyed, and dozens of stores ransacked. I am a libertarian-leaning young adult who has always been anti-militarization of police and very aware of the racial inequality within the justice system. I was in full support of the march like just about everyone else but was disheartened to see the destruction that followed committed by a very small percentage of the original protestors and most likely out-of-staters who traveled to the city specifically to riot. However, what really shocked me was seeing on almost every form of social media fellow classmates of all races supporting not just the protests, but also the violent acts that followed in our own city and around the country.
Somehow, seemingly overnight, people (especially from my generation) believe that if even if you are for the protest, but against the rioting and not donating to a bail fund, you’re a closeted racist who has no understanding of your own white privilege. (This is also the mostly the same group of people who were very against the COVID state re-opening peaceful protests that have been happening)
Currently we are all doing online classes, so I don’t see any of my classmates but I feel that when we are reunited later this summer when clinic resumes it will be difficult rekindling friendships and camaraderie when I know that if they ever found out what I really think on the matter it would be apparently diametrically opposed to their viewpoints. I’m also starting to think that when I enter the dental field as a dentist, I will find out that most of my colleagues are mostly extremely left-leaning. Any hope out there in the real world or will I have to accept that I’ll spend the rest of my education and working career surrounded by people where I can’t speak my actual thoughts for fear of being ostracized?
I am a 3rd year student at a dental school in a major metropolitan area. Like most other cities recently, there was a well attended BLM march this past weekend that was very peaceful and well run (ignoring the whole social distancing thing…but that’s another topic). Unfortunately, like many others, it ended in rioting and looting. More than a couple cops hospitalized, cop cars destroyed, and dozens of stores ransacked. I am a libertarian-leaning young adult who has always been anti-militarization of police and very aware of the racial inequality within the justice system. I was in full support of the march like just about everyone else but was disheartened to see the destruction that followed committed by a very small percentage of the original protestors and most likely out-of-staters who traveled to the city specifically to riot. However, what really shocked me was seeing on almost every form of social media fellow classmates of all races supporting not just the protests, but also the violent acts that followed in our own city and around the country.
Somehow, seemingly overnight, people (especially from my generation) believe that if even if you are for the protest, but against the rioting and not donating to a bail fund, you’re a closeted racist who has no understanding of your own white privilege. (This is also the mostly the same group of people who were very against the COVID state re-opening peaceful protests that have been happening)
Currently we are all doing online classes, so I don’t see any of my classmates but I feel that when we are reunited later this summer when clinic resumes it will be difficult rekindling friendships and camaraderie when I know that if they ever found out what I really think on the matter it would be apparently diametrically opposed to their viewpoints. I’m also starting to think that when I enter the dental field as a dentist, I will find out that most of my colleagues are mostly extremely left-leaning. Any hope out there in the real world or will I have to accept that I’ll spend the rest of my education and working career surrounded by people where I can’t speak my actual thoughts for fear of being ostracized?
