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« on: November 06, 2016, 06:36:07 pm »
So, let me say something about my background now. I'm Polish and white, like most of people in Poland. But I am also a woman, a socialist liberal and a nerd - which at the moment means that I am outside the official discourse of our government and state-owned media. Since our last election (a year ago) everything is becoming more nationalistic, isolationistic and xenophobic. And, oh, they wanted to ban abortion in any circumstances (currently it's allowed only if pregnancy is dangerous for the woman's life, the embryo is unable to live or heavily disfigured or if the pregnancy is the result of crime). Anyway, this discourse promotes the skinhead, neo-nazi types as modern Polish patriots. The result is racist attacks, mostly on Arabs (you know, the whole islamic threat and all that), but recently a Polish professor of history was beaten on the tram because he was talking in German to his colleague, a German professor of history.
Our Independence Day is coming. 11 November, the Armistice Day. And you know what - we warn our non-Polish friends to better stay at homes on that day (fortunately, it's a holiday, so they do not have to go to work or school) or they might get beaten by our brave young Polish patriots.
And you know what? I love my country and I hate it at the same time. I don't want to leave, but I'm so afraid it will get worse and worse. I've survived the communist regime, early 21st century seemed to be all bright and promising, membership in NATO and EU, open borders, open minds... and now it's all falling apart.
So yes, I am offended. I am offended by racist jokes and comments, I am offended by anti-gay rhetorics, I am offended by our women-hating government. I never thought I would go marching in the streets, and yet during this year I did it several times. It won't change anything but at least I can see that I'm not alone.