People Are Unfollowing You Because You’re Mean

I saw a post on Facebook today from a white woman who has been very vocally in favor of the All Black Lives Matter movement. And in of itself, that would be great. But in the process of being pro black American, she’s also just being mean, harsh, and critical of people who don’t respond the way she does. 

Back to her post. After noting that some of her old friends had unfollowed her, she said,

I realized that the only reason they had to block me right now is due to my vocal expression against racism, against hate crimes, against prejudice towards any marginalized community. So I guess in the end, it’s not as much a loss as setting me free from those who are not fighting the same fight I fight.

It’s true that your old friends aren’t fighting the same fight you are fighting. Not because they are cowards. Because they are not fighting their own friends. If the past month of her social media posts had been kind, empathetic, and supportive, I’d support her stance and her analysis of why she’s being unfollowed. Instead, her posts have been aggressive, harsh, critical, and vulgar. 

So to the normally wonderful white lady who has championed Black Lives Matter in a disrespectful tone, the people unfollowing you aren’t racist or unwilling to work to disarm and extinguish racism. They are unfollowing you because you’ve behaved rudely. And people don’t want to be ordered around or shamed into action by the snap judgments of a white lady on the internet. 

We have to take a stand against racism in all its forms. Absolutely. But you’ll never convert people to a new way of thinking by shouting or demanding. 

People need to be loved and accepted and nurtured into change. Taking God as our example, it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.