That Racist Ableist Hashtag

Over the past couple of days, the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. denied having a series of mini-strokes late last year. This denial sparked a hashtag combining the word stroke with a play on Pocahontas - the preteen Indigenous girl who was later kidnapped, forced to convert her religion, and marry John Rolfe mythologized to the point her real story isn't even taught in current history classes. Her name has become a racial slur - in recent years by 45 himself - referring to Elizabeth Warren. I am of course referring to the hashtag strokeahontas. I REFUSE to hashtag or capitalize it here. The racist ableist assholes who created this thought they were being clever and would give President Pussy Ass Bitch a taste of his own medicine. Being racist and ableist does not do anything to Trump. It does, however cause real harm to the Indigenous disability communities.

Racism against Indigenous Peoples is long standing - centuries long. The American government (and its predecessors of colonial governments) has been in a more than 400 year genocide against American First Peoples including - but not limited to - forced relocation, bio warfare, massacres, violation of treaties, medical and wage disparities, confinement within territories, abolition of naming and other traditions, and the list goes on for miles. Pocahontas, in particular is a glaring example of white settler colonialist atrocity. Her history has been romanticized to the point that most people don't realize she was only between 11-12 when she met John Smith. There was no romance there.

There are millions of stroke survivors and just as many who have died from strokes. Survivors can have a wide range of side effects from short term memory loss to partial paralysis and loss of speech and motor function. Joking about severe medical problems makes it that much harder for those and their families dealing with the long term realities. Medical eugenics is real. Those of us with lower "quality of life" medical problems have to self advocate, grow & nurture advocacy networks, and literally fight for actual medical care instead of getting dismissed, insulted, and potentially killed.

There are so many ways to attack Trump without being racist and ableist. Go after his policy failures, his constant lies, his xenophobia, his blatant fascism, his horrific disregard for human rights, the list is endless without resorting to racism and ableism.