As kids we’re told to tell an adult if we see something bad happening. You see someone stealing? You see someone hurt? Tell. The older we get, the more we are expected to follow the honor code of ‘telling’, but the older we get, we also learn about the ramifications. The person you saw stealing out of a walmart? A woman with a baby at home, that’s been crying for hours non stop because they’re out of baby formula. The person you saw hurt? A man who’s homeless and can’t afford to be in a hospital due to not having healthcare. The older we get, the more often we see the consequences of being ‘honorable’ and while the idea of being a law abiding citizen is good, the society we live in isn’t and therefore the consequences aren’t either.
So then we start to practice another code of ignorance. Minding your business, see but don’t tell, ignorance is bliss, etc. This in turn has left us without community. So while traveling through the fear of being the cause for someones fall to the fear of becoming apart of the laws that are slowly tearing apart our society, we come to a path that makes us lose our sense of community. Without community, we are slowly being drivin to division. Nobody depending on everyone and as long as you do nothing to or for me, i’ll do nothing to or for you. And according to the problem at hand, this should be a good solution. Right?
No.
The true meaning of community is about protection. Whether your community lies in ethnicity, where you live, the subculture you participate in, or your family, you rely and trust for them to protect you. Throughout political and societal unrest for over 100 years, a communities purpose has upheld the value of protection.
In the 1970s, many subcultures had to uphold the idea of community due to societal restrictions. One of the more iconic examples of this, is the punk subculture. A lot of this cultures ideaology was about breaking rules and the previously mentioned societal restrictions. From the fashion, the music, and the artwork, the purpose of being “punk” was specifically to offend public figures of authority (mostly the government) and the general public. The most memorable thing about punks was that due to so many of the UK’s youth participating in such offensive, and at times illegal acts, it was very difficult to stop or put all offenders into jail. This solidified it as a community, as most punks followed the idea of “see but dont tell” and “what happens here, stays here”.
Black communities used to share the same belief as well. From the slave days till around the 80s, black unity was extremely essential and even though it still is now, it’s very rare to find. Black women tend to have hard times finding unity within black men who tend to be more concerned with belittling black women and at times aligning their beliefs with racist idealogies. The most recent and popular example of this is the case of Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez. Megan Pete was shot on July 12, 2020 by Tory Lanez during an altercation after Kylie Jenners’ party. During the 3 year period that it has taken for the trial to begin and end, many people turned on Megan in support for Tory, although there was overwhelming proof that he did in fact fire a gun on her. To truly put it into view as to how grotesque it was, let me paint it for you. A black woman, whos entire life is publicized, didn’t want people to know that she was dating another famous singer whos entire life is also publicized and in turn was shot. So, in turn she was taken through a three year process of doubt, guilt, and disbelief by the same community that was meant to protect her.
All because they wanted to defend a man who couldn’t take no for an answer.
Our lack of community isn’t just dividing us as people, but it’s messing with our sense of morality. While we may turn to other people outside our subcultures and ehtniticites, there are experiences that can only be shared and kept sacred by one another. While it may seem like it, this isn’t a call for a hive mind but rather a call for safety. There is so much unrest, whether politically or socially, in our current time and while a ‘community’ may not stop it, it would help to have people, who share your experiences and life stories, to turn to.
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