That’s why it’s always important to note just exactly what happens on Twitter. And there’s always a conflict between those who joke on social media and those who use it for seriousness. Twitter is a place for serious rumination on the impacts of war but it’s also a place for jokes. Also, Twitter is a place where people go to joke regardless of their own personal feelings. That’s how we process trauma, and let’s not forget: this is trauma. That’s been how we’ve operated since the beginning of time. That’s how fear manifests and Black people’s natural reaction to fear is to use humor to cope. This was the train of thought that happened on Twitter. I don’t think most of the jokers were trying to make light of drone strikes and the all-too-real violence we continue to inflict on the Middle East. ![]() Remember, “ World War 3” was trending, not “Iran War.” Those fears are grounded in the reality that there is an unhinged president in office who once asked why we couldn’t use more nuclear warheads - which in itself is a terrifying prospect because we’ve been taught that one nuke sent out means lots of nukes sent out, which means global annihilation. They were joking because they were afraid we were heading to a war that would kill us all. I don’t think the users on Twitter were joking about drone strikes. Those fears came from a lack of awareness about the realities of a war with Iran. The reason I don’t feel compelled to come down too hard on the people making the jokes is that I understood where their fears came from. I know it’s my job to have definitive stances and positions, but I honestly see both sides of the argument in what is an opportunity to show intercontinental unity with our oppressed brothers and sisters. These may be jokes to us but people will be losing their lives and those people are going to be the most vulnerable members of the world. ![]() They won’t be the people whose families are in constant fear of bombings and drone strikes. ![]() They mentioned the fact that the Americans tweeting about death and their own fears were self-centered considering they most likely won’t be the people experiencing the violence. Other Twitter users didn’t see the comedy.
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