While the number of new coronavirus infections is declining worldwide, in the United States, “Black Lives Matter”, protest demonstrations against a man killed by police officers discriminating black people became popular, and the spark is spreading all over the world. It is natural for people to stand up against black discrimination, but the riots have become radical. Some people are even attacking Nike and Apple stores and others are setting fire on buildings and cars.
President Trump said such actions were led by ANTIFA, militant, left-wing, and anti-fascist political activists and identified them as terrorists.
However, there is also a theory that these criminal acts are masquerading or inciting by Trump-supporting white supremacists. Since I live far from the United State, I do not know what the truth is.
Although it was revealed in a survey by Twitter, Inc. that the twitter account claiming to be ANTIFA was a spoofed white supremacist, I wonder if an account with only a few hundred followers could be so influential. Also, have watched the videos of people actually attacking shops. Some were white and some were colored. They seemed to be the people of all races. There seems to be no white man. In addition, I do not really have a good image for ANTIFA. The reason is because due to the mere disagreement, for many years I have been receiving harassment, such as being called as a racist, by people who claim to be ANTIFA in Japan.
And, of course, I am opposed to racism, but my home in Dublin is near the American Embassy. It would be terrifying if there was an arson or an attack near my home even in the name of black discrimination.
I agree with the demonstrations, but I am against crimes such as plunders and violence.
However, when I said so, some people especially English-speaking and Japanese living in overseas, attacked me with Twitter. “Black discrimination is more important than such a small crime!”, one said. “A small sacrifice is just for justice!”, the other told me off and labeled me as “discriminator”.
Let me say again.
(1) It is a serious problem that a black man was killed by public authority due to racism. So, I support the demonstration activities.
(2) I oppose situations where the property or life of a third party, including myself, is unduly exposed to danger.
Opinions (1) and (2) can coexist in my mind, but for some reason, many people do not understand. It felt extremely unreasonable be attacked by them when I expressed the idea (2) even after I stated (1). Why are they so extreme?
This question has come a little after a talk with my friend, so I would like to share my thoughts with you. In short, I thought that it could be due to differences in the history and culture of the demonstrations, as well as the degree of liability in public safety, and police between Japan and foreign countries.
For example, in Japan the student movement flourished in the 1970s, an extremist student group gathered in the mountain. They tortured and killed each other and held a hostage in the cottage. They became a symbol of social evil. In the 1990s, AUM Shinrikyo caused a subway sarin incident, so the impression that “Anti-social people were terrifying when radicalized.” became stronger, I think. I also think that compared to other parts of the world, in safe country like Japan, decapitations and arsons caused by demonstrations are quite extraordinary for us Japanese.
Two years ago, youths gathered in Shibuya for Halloween to make a big fuss, not a demonstration. In countries with poor securities, it is an everyday scene and there is no arrest, but in Japan some of them were arrested and their real names were announced to the public as a warning to others. Unfortunately, each one of them would not even be able to get a proper job just by burning a light truck upside down. They are almost liquidated from society. However, we Japanese value security more than anything else. So, if there is a plunder or an arson in the demonstrations, those who have done it will be subject to social sanctions.
In some other countries where police and mafia are connected to each other, the police are corrupt and unreliable for not helping those who reported the cases or not investing them. On the other hand, Japanese police do not have obvious corruption or cozy relationships with the gangs. Although they arrest a female artist of pussy, they seem to have basically a high trust from the public for their investigative ability.
With the dark history such as the student movement in the 1970s and the terrorist act of AUM Shinrikyo, we Japanese have a lot of trust in the police and fear for deprivations and arsons. The promise of the way of thinking about demonstrations may be different between us and people in unsafe (pardon me for using this word) countries with frequent demos.
I add what I have noticed about a story about an acquaintance of mine who lived in the United States. Her favorite pouch was stolen as she left it for less than a minute in the school lavatory. She reported to her teacher. The teacher preached, “A thief has reasons. Make sure to protect your treasure.” When her relatives called the police for an office robbery, the policeman told them that criminals might not be found and so the stolen goods would not return. It seems to me that Americans think criminals have circumstances or reasons such as poverty, so people should be responsible for self-protection within the United States.
Since we Japanese strongly aware that “No matter what the circumstances, a crime is a crime.”, “We shouldn’t annoy or harm others.” and “Criminals are evil.”, it is hard for us to understand American way of thinking. When I had no idea why they think that way, but now my discomfort disappeared. There is no help for it because the ways of thinking towards crimes are different. Therefore, obviously it is not a matter of comparing the superiority of cultural standard between two countries.
Even with these differences, I would say again that I am in favor of the demonstrations because it is a serious issue that black man was killed by public authority due to racism. However, I am against situations where the property and life of third parties, including myself, are wrongfully exposed to danger.
It is because we all do not want to be attacked on our shops or residence. If I were told “A small sacrifice is unavoidable.”, I would be angry not only with those who said so but also with the people who participated in the demonstration. It still is unreasonable for someone to get hurt or suffer damage even if it is much smaller compared to black discrimination. There will be another hatred and fights and discriminations will never end.
The chain of barren anger should be broken.
Shouldn’t we consider protest demonstrations and crimes such as plunders and arsons separately?
In Black Lives Matter, there was a demonstration that allowed the American flag to be run over by a car. Although expressions to stain, trample, destroy or burn something are not what I like, I do not stop them at all because we all have freedom of expression. I just want to express my hate of police officers in cute and happy ways in my works.
Discrimination is something that is in everyone’s mind, so I think it is difficult to eradicate. However, I hope everyone in the world can live in peace, and happiness by reducing it as much as possible.
In this text, I used the phrase “the American way of thinking”, but of course, since it is a country of all races, I do not say that all Americans think the same way.
I speculated that it might be a particularly prominent feature of those who attacked me on Twitter.
My son is half Japanese and half Scottish. I never discriminate mixed race people you know.Twitter translate is just wrong. I know that mixed race people were deeply hurt by discrimination.
Black Lives Matterでは、アメリカの国旗を車にひかせるようなデモ行為もありましたが、わたしは、やはり、何かを汚したり踏んづけたり破壊したり焼いたりする表現は苦手だし、好きではありません。表現の自由だから一切止めませんが、わたしは自分の作品でも、憎い相手の警察も、可愛く楽しく表現したいです。
There seems to be another unsettling free expression restriction movement. This time they are trying to ban love dolls (primarily ones which look human in order to simulate sex).
After some research, I found out that this petition was created by American activists a couple of years ago, but recently I came across it on Twitter. Seeing many people agreeing with the petition, I was alarmed that there are over 170,000 names on the petition.
I read the English introduction to this petition, and found out that this activist describes those who use love dolls as “[t]hese child sex dolls can normalize a pedophile’s behaviors, emboldening them to harm children, as is often the case with those who view child pornography.” Love doll users are described as if they are going to become criminals.
Is this not an extreme bias and discrimination against love doll users?
Of course, sexual abuse towards real life children should never be condoned, and those who assault children in this way should be punished heavily. And of course, the true aim of the petition, which is to end sexual assault crimes, is correct.
However, those who use the dolls for self-pleasure are merely using a doll, and are not hurting anybody.
In this world, there are many different kinds fo sexual preferences. There are people sexually attracted to and aroused by the presence of someone of a different sex or gender, and those who are exclusively attracted to the same sex or gender. There are people who are sexually attracted to people of all genders, to dolls, to little girls or boys, to shoes, to buildings, and to inanimate objects that look nothing like humans. There are people who wish to hurt or eat others for sexual gratification, as well as people who do not feel sexual desires at all.
Whatever the character of a sexual desire (or the nonexistence of it), and even if nobody can understand it, nobody has the right to invade other people’s freedom to feel how they feel. As long as that person does not harm real life beings, and only becomes sexually aroused within their fantasies, that is not a crime.
It is regrettable and quite unsettling that even such a simple principle cannot be understood by those whose emotions of disgust, fear, and unforgiving anger become their primary motivation behind actions and words.
I am not sexually or romantically attracted to other women. However, perhaps for some gays or lesbians, being able to love a person of different sex or gender may seem disgusting. We live in a world where heterosexuals are the overwhelming numerical majority, but it is up to individuals to decide what they like or do not like. Negating another person’s sexual preference or attraction because you cannot understand it, is I believe, an outright discrimination.
It was not so long ago that people attracted to the same sex or gender were harshly discriminated as a “sick and disgusting existence” in society. Today, as the term LGBT has come into common language, such sexuality is much more accepted. A society that supports diversity yet tries to restrict love doll users is acting against the principle of accepting and celebrating diversity. As a feminist, I strongly oppose this petition.
Recently, there has been a series of similarly unsettling cases against free expression and the freedom to feel a certain way, such as the protest against the Uzaki chan blood donation poster, LoveLive’s Mikan poster, as well as demanding for Takashi Okamura to be fired from his NHK show, and this petition against love dolls. Quite frankly, I am becoming tired of expressing my opposition to every single case.
It is much more fun studying about 3dCG or thinking about the plarail (plastic train models) I play with my son. Those activities make me forget about time, and make me feel extremely fulfilled, so to be honest, I do not want to talk about these issues.
However, I am blocked by Japanese feminist academics on Twitter, and if I remain silent, my protest would be treated as if it did not exist. Even if it is a tiring and cumbersome work, I must continue to express my opposition.
And I want to say to those who began this petition or have agreed to it:
Why are you criticizing people or things that you dislike and will never have to interact with? I find it far more enjoyable to pass time doing something I love.
