All missing people should matter equally.
By Laura Reston Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
By now, you probably recognize the name Gabrielle Petito, a young woman from Long Island who set out in July to cross the country with her fiancé, only to go missing in late August. |
Even before her remains were discovered several days ago in a Wyoming national park, journalists had written dozens of stories about who she was, her interests and aspirations. They often included the photographs she'd posted on her Instagram account in the days before she died — snapshots of a life cut short. |
Reading the breathless coverage of her case, Charles Blow, an Opinion columnist, was struck by the contrast with the images of Haitian migrants at the border, trapped as officers bore down on them on horseback, swinging their reins like whips. To Charles, this distills a pattern he has seen too many times over the course of his career: Thousands of people of color disappear every year, unseen, while journalists chase the stories of missing white women. |
"This is what happens when a country doesn't see some people as fully human," Charles writes. "It's what the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the 'thingification of the Negro.'" |
When people go missing, their race shouldn't determine whether or not they get coverage, he argues. It's not that white women like Petito should matter less, merely that everyone who goes missing deserves the same attention and respect. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com |
Contact Us If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment