I saw people talking about the "blue bracelet" idea somewhere else and couldn't bring myself to care enough to chime in.
But this is the reason that I refuse to call myself "an ally." I don't think that's a designation I get to choose.
If somebody needs help and I'm around then I'd like to think I'd pitch in. But how can I ask people to, effectively, thank me pre-emptively for something I *haven't done yet*? Isn't that saying that I want the label without the responsibility?
@DavidSalo I think most white people who call themselves allies are not. If you have to designate this then I think there is usually a lie or an overcompensation. I tend to ignore people who do a ton of virtue signaling like this. At this point in the world, the ONLY thing that matters are actions and active demonstrations. Words are pointless. Hashtags are as well. Do or do not ... that's pretty much all there is.
@DavidSalo I do find a little chuckle in the idea of white people trying to designate themselves "the good ones" or feeling like their entire race represents them in some way. Members of the #GlobalMajority have felt like this for decades. There are no individuals. One Black person does something wrong, all Black people are punished. I think white people are feeling this kind of pinch too in their own way. The color of their skin is now the problem that puts them in a category they don't like.