The Racist Tweets are… Trickling. What’s Up Kansas?
It’s only been a few hours since the first Miss America of Indian descent was crowned, and already the racist tweets are flowing.
Well, actually, if anyone cares to dig deeper, the racist tweets are trickling.
I used the word “trickling” because it had alliteration. I’ve just spent the last whole five minutes reading more than 2,000 tweets and I could only find two that were questionably racist. Those were from someone named “Princess” in Kansas who was upset that her friend, Miss Kansas, did not win.
(Update: Later I read that of the 2 billion Tweets that are sent per day, there were a total of 700 or so that were racist in nature about Miss America. I’m an English major, not a statistician, but I’m thinking that’s below .00001%.)
The tweet I read from Kansas said something like America was afraid to elect a “real Miss America” who, you know, shoots arrows and guns, and has the sobriety prayer tattooed on her torso.
So, just to be clear, I don’t care at all about the color of a person’s skin. But as a mom, I’m hoping that the person my son brings home to marry someday does not come from Kansas.
However, let’s give credit where credit is due. In June, 2013, Kansas legally allowed schools to teach the theory of evolution. THIS YEAR! Because up to now the only science allowed to be taught in Kansas of how humans came into existence was from the big non-bang theory, and that would be Adam and Eve.
Since Kansas barely recognizes evolution, don’t even bother to search its history on LGBT Rights.
So, if someone there was racist, I’m of the mind to forgive it. “Princess” is having a very bad day. She will probably go out and shoot a chipmunk to let off steam.
I’m hopeful that while a few people are not happy, there are millions more who support her who did not tweet about it, if there are still a million people not on Twitter. I do not intend to belittle racism. It is a terrible affront to human nature. I am just saying that I believe we have come far in America in furthering human rights, and this media storm about racist tweets is probably just that, a media storm about a few people still in the dark ages.
So you go, Miss America, and when you visit Kansas I will come and cheer you on, even though you robbed Miss Colorado of the crown.
Originally published September 16, 2013
© Michelle Marchildon, all rights reserved.
Michelle Berman Marchildon is the Yogi Muse. She is an award-winning journalist and the author of Finding More on the Mat: How I Grew Better, Wiser and Stronger through Yoga, and Theme Weaver: Connect the Power of Inspiration to Teaching Yoga. She is a Columnist for Elephant Journal and a Contributing Editor for Mantra and Origin Magazines. She is an E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance and teaches Hatha Yoga in Denver, Co. You can take her classes on www.yogadownload.com or www.yogasteya.com.