Enough is enough...

For the last couple of days, I have taken to social media to share my absolute displeasure and disgust with the fact that a local church practically held a Ku Klux Klan rally within the borders of the Quad Cities. No, they didn’t wear the white hoods and robes. They didn’t burn any crosses on any lawns. But they certainly espoused the same white supremacist, hateful, poisonous rhetoric. They held this event under the guise of a “political forum” and got a religious organization and the Republican Party to play host. Sounds real Klan-ish, doesn’t it? And the truly sad part is this occurrence has gone virtually unchecked by anyone who holds any real power in the Quad Cities community, even more specifically, the Bettendorf, Iowa community.

If you’re not familiar with what I’m speaking of, read about it here and the subsequent fury of back peddling here.

The public outcry via social media has been tremendous. We are obviously a community that hates bigotry and hates racism. But we are also a community still full of hate, bigotry and racism. Check the comments on the media stories. What is truly most embarrassing to me though as a Quad Citizen is no person or organization in a real position of power seems to take issue with any of this, or at least not publicly. We keep hearing about these organized efforts to make and promote the Quad Cities as a more welcoming and inclusive community. But not one elected official, business leader or organization in a true position of power in the Quad Cities has publicly denounced or addressed this horrible occurrence and the major issues that something like this makes loud and clear.

I, myself, have been a part of countless iterations of these “welcoming and inclusive” efforts throughout my 12-year tenure as a Quad Citizen. I care! I give a damn! So many of us do. Shout out to the other Quad Citizens and religious leaders that won’t let it slide. Who has our backs? Thus, my social media rant.

Originally posted to Facebook on 12/4/19:

In all the recent organized efforts to present the QC as a welcoming and inclusive community, I think a great point has been missed or ignored. You cannot look to us marginalized people and communities to lead these efforts. We get the point and are doing what we have to do to uplift and advance ourselves.

Start beating this welcoming and inclusive drum to the majority and make the majority act and change. Demand better from the white community, the heterosexual community, the non-immigrant community. It’s the majority that’s ruining our reputation for the QC. Make efforts to address institutional and systematic racism, xenophobia and bigotry. Stop just talking about bias. There is pure hate in our community. Y’all don’t seem to get it!

And these organizations sit silent when that hate even presents itself in very public ways. But y’all wanna jump on board anytime marginalized communities do anything to uplift themselves. Y’all wanna be all up in the articles and pictures then. But where are y’all at when it’s time to blast these racists who are ruining our communities? And that includes current elected officials and candidates too. Where y’all at? I know some of y’all are right there supporting the hate. But what about the rest? I’m so tired of the bullsh!t and phony efforts. I’ve seen enough!

A church in Bettendorf just pretty much held a KKK rally. No elected official, business leader or high ranking community figure from Bettendorf or Scott County has anything to say about that? I would be calling a press conference in my city and blasting these people, calling it out for what it is and leading an investigation to get IRS sanctions or anything possible against that church. That’s how you prove you’re a welcoming and inclusive community! But nope, crickets. That is so telling of the community we live in!

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Yes, I am furious. Yes, I am demanding action from the so-called organizations and elected officials that we constantly see in the news harping about the Quad Cities being welcoming and inclusive. I apply the wisdom of James Baldwin to my community, my chosen home, the community I love more than any other community in the world. “I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually,” he said.

When will we get real and start ruffling the feathers of the racists and bigots who are poisoning our beloved communities? Yes, I’m talking to you, elected, high-ranking community officials and organizations. These people look a lot like you!