I made a long response to this offensive post so you don't have to.

Content Warning:
Anti-Black Sentiment / Racism
Anti-Abortion Sentiment / “Pro-Life”
COVID-19
Cops / Law Enforcement / “Blue Lives Matter”
White Supremacists / Nazis
Medical Racism
Religion / False Piety

Some time ago, someone wrote a post on social media and accredited it to pro-golfer Bubba Watson. This post was a poorly written, terribly construed piece of garbage that takes more time to explain why each point of it is incorrect than it took to write in the first place. It uses the type of rapid-fire wording that makes it look like it is trying to be thoughtful and making a point when it is nothing more than an offensive dog-whistle and rides on the back of the lack of media literacy in certain groups of people. It is an attempt to make things look like Black people don’t care about our communities when we have been struggling our entire lives to survive.

Someone whom I know - in fact, the same person who inspired my post about the Super Bowl Halftime Show - posted the following:

“This is from Bubba Watson... pro golfer and a stand up guy.
Exactly the way I feel today.
*****
I’m so confused right now. I see signs all over saying black lives matter. I’m just trying to figure out which black lives matter. It can’t be the unborn black babies. They are destroyed without a second thought. It’s not black cops. They don’t seem to matter. It’s not my black conservative friends. They are told to shut up if they know what’s best for them by their black counterparts. It’s not black business owners. Their property does not mean anything. It’s not blacks who fought in the military. Their statues are destroyed by the black lives matter protesters with disdain. So which black lives matter again?
Black Lives Matter. Of course they do! Then when multiple black police officers and individuals were killed during the “peaceful protests”. I don’t see any outrage? Black individually owned businesses burned to the ground. Silence. Deadliest weekend in Chicago. NOTHING!!
I can’t keep up. I just can’t. I’m exhausted trying to figure out what we’re all supposed to do, believe, and be offended and outraged by next.
Two months ago, First Responders were all the rage. In fact, they were heroes. We gave them free coffee, meals, and cheers as they drove by. Today, we hate them and want them defunded because they can’t be trusted.
Two months ago, truck drivers were the heroes, as well, for keeping America moving and the grocery stores stocked. Today we block the roads with protesters, drag them out of the cabs and beat them half to death.
Nurses and Doctors are still cool for now. But they may be unemployed. They too are heroes, unless of course they truly believe all lives matter. Then they’re filled with hate and are part of problem like so many others.
Just 45 days ago protests weren’t “essential” and were considered criminal, selfish and a murderous activity. Today they are gloriously critical and celebrated. All of the obvious criminal and murderous activities are simply ignored. If you protest about lock downs for freedom, you are selfish and you will spread a virus. If you protest, loot, and riot for social justice, you are a warrior and the virus fades to the background.
Trust the experts. No, not those experts. Don’t wear masks ... wear masks, but only good ones. Wait, don’t wear masks, wear anything as a mask. Never mind on the masks. Not sure, but if you don’t, you hate people because you could be an asymptomatic spreader. Wait. That’s not a thing anymore?
For 3 months, NOTHING was more important than social distance. In fact, we gave up all of our liberties for it. We canceled schools, medical and dental procedures, yet allowed the murder of babies, canceled activities, closed businesses, eliminated every spring rite of passage from prom to graduation, denied people funerals, even at Arlington, and we wrecked the economy for it. Then came social justice, and social distance was no more. Now things are more cut and dried though. A thousand people at three memorials for someone they never even met. It’s a matter of “respect”. But you can only assemble 100 or less people.
I’m really confused now. Look at the data, NO, not that data. Do the math. No, you can’t do the math like that. Only the experts can understand the data and math. What do you mean other cities/states/governors are interpreting the data differently? Pools are safe in Indiana, but not Michigan? Playgrounds are safe in your town but not mine? Amusement parks are safe in Florida but not Ohio, nor Michigan.
If you are silent you are part of the problem. If you speak, you are part of the problem. If you have to ask, you don’t understand. If you don’t ask, you don’t care.
It’s all so predictable, tedious, and exhausting. Nothing adds up. It’s one gigantic Math life problem, with ever changing denominators that I’m sure the media and politicians are eagerly ready to solve for us...until the next “crisis”.
So, for now I pray. I pray God will heal our land and bless the United States of America! Bless us with Wisdom, Kindness, Gentleness, Mercy, Love, Peace and Healing. Things that Really Matter! We all Matter in God’s Eyes!
You can Copy and Paste. I did!”

A whole page of crap that made me livid. But instead of just being furious and unproductive, I broke the post down into 36 points to explain what exactly was wrong with it. And now I share this with you, in case you see this same claptrap and want a quick response to it instead of having to methodically take it apart.
Seriously. It took a long time, and it was very annoying.
So! Let’s take it by the numbers, shall we?

1. “This is from Bubba Watson... pro golfer and a stand up guy.”

Bubba Watson didn't write this.
I checked around, and he has stated that he didn't write this. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, he said in response to this: “I’m not sure how or why my name ended up on the Facebook post, but it ain’t from me. Someone decided to pretend it was from me and I guess it took off. It’s unfortunate how things like this spread online. I hope this is a good reminder to be careful what you believe on the internet.”

2. "I’m so confused right now. I see signs all over saying black lives matter. I’m just trying to figure out which black lives matter. It can’t be the unborn black babies. They are destroyed without a second thought."

I presume that this is talking about abortion, which is a whole kettle of fish on its own. "Destroyed without a second thought" is typically a misrepresentation of the access to safe, affordable, medical care for women - especially for women of color. Medical care is extensive, and includes family planning; and one of the ways that it gets denied to minority groups is by calling it "destroying babies".
No destruction happens. It's a common lie.

3. "It’s not black cops. They don’t seem to matter."

I don't get this one. Is this the "blue lives matter" rhetoric? "Blue lives" aren't a thing - it's a career. It's a way to co-opt "Black Lives Matter" to support the unjust glorification of police forces when they mistreat the populace.
Or is it how POC police officers are discriminated against by their white peers? Because racism is also rampant within police departments.
Either way, this one is self-contradictory.

4. "It’s not my black conservative friends. They are told to shut up if they know what’s best for them by their black counterparts."

Well, one, since he didn't write it, it's just a straight-up lie. And two, this seems to be an effort to sow discord and further discredit Black people, discredit Black lives, discredit our attempts to be seen as human beings.

5. "It’s not black business owners. Their property does not mean anything."

Considering that it is white run banks, white run government entities, and white run systems that make it incredibly difficult for Black businesses to exist, this isn't a slight against BLM. This is a slight against the system. It's self-contradictory.

6. "It’s not blacks who fought in the military. Their statues are destroyed by the black lives matter protesters with disdain."

What statues? This is another straight-up lie. The closest I could find was one memorial that was damaged overnight and was quickly repaired.

7. "So which black lives matter again?
”Black Lives Matter. Of course they do! Then when multiple black police officers and individuals were killed during the “peaceful protests”. I don’t see any outrage?"

That's been disproven. Repeatedly. The whole “targeting of cops during protests” thing is a dangerous myth that is being used to further delegitimize Black people.

8. "Black individually owned businesses burned to the ground. Silence."

Wrong.

9. "Deadliest weekend in Chicago. NOTHING!!"

WRONG. The Citizens of Chicago have been protesting the violence in Chicago for ages. It's just not big news, because it is normalized. It's not big news, because it's only used as a talking point when white people go "but what about black-on-black crime" and "look at Chicago - it's so dangerous there."

10. "I can’t keep up. I just can’t. I’m exhausted trying to figure out what we’re all supposed to do, believe, and be offended and outraged by next.
"Two months ago, First Responders were all the rage. In fact, they were heroes. We gave them free coffee, meals, and cheers as they drove by. Today, we hate them and want them defunded because they can’t be trusted."

This is a complete misrepresentation. No one hates First Responders (except maybe libertarians and "sovereign citizens") - defunding police departments doesn't just mean letting that money go to nothing. What it means is investing in community care, education, proper health services, all of the things that have been unfairly and unjustly put on the police. They've been given responsibility for things that they shouldn't be responsible for, and that's made things worse for everybody.

I talk about this in further detail here: https://www.justingrays.org/my-blog/2020/7/5/we-must-defund-and-dismantle-the-police

11. "Two months ago, truck drivers were the heroes, as well, for keeping America moving and the grocery stores stocked. Today we block the roads with protesters, drag them out of the cabs and beat them half to death."

This appears to be a reference to the various times that truck drivers have run over protesters, including the truck driver here in Minnesota who drove onto a freeway that was closed by the police and still managed to plow into protestors. Not to mention that one of the truck drivers who turned out to be a klansman.

12. "Nurses and Doctors are still cool for now. But they may be unemployed. They too are heroes, unless of course they truly believe all lives matter. Then they’re filled with hate and are part of problem like so many others."

Medical mismanagement and how physicians ignore POC folk already shows us that not all lives matter to the medical establishment.

13. "Just 45 days ago protests weren’t “essential” and were considered criminal, selfish and a murderous activity. Today they are gloriously critical and celebrated."

This appears to be referring to the armed militants surging into the Michigan State Capital building because they didn’t want to follow the stay-at-home orders as we work to end the pandemic. Somehow, in the mind of the person who wrote this, those militants are comparable to the various protests against police brutality and the murder of Black people.

14. "All of the obvious criminal and murderous activities are simply ignored."

Nonsensical statement.

15. "If you protest about lock downs for freedom, you are selfish and you will spread a virus. If you protest, loot, and riot for social justice, you are a warrior and the virus fades to the background."

The issue with this is that the various stay-at-home orders are not about limiting freedom - they are about slowing down a pandemic. And notice how when it is white people doing it, it is only called “protesting”, while when POC folx are doing it, it is called “looting and rioting”.
However, social justice also includes keeping oneself and others safe, which means not going to protests when ill, practicing social distancing at protests, and practicing other safety measures. COVID-19 never faded into the background - unlike the Michigan protests, COVID-19 is still at the forefront of the minds of people striving for social justice.

Rebecca Watson: Why people believe doctors like Stella Immanuel when it comes to COVID-19.

16. "Trust the experts. No, not those experts."

This seems to be a misunderstanding of the difference between experts in virology and public health versus experts in other fields who didn't yet have all of the answers. Either that, or not understanding the difference between experts and charlatans who have had their credentials revoked for peddling snake oil.

The messaging on masks and coronavirus has been mixed, and has shifted throughout the pandemic. We now have better data, and it is clear that wearing a masks...

17. "Don’t wear masks ... wear masks, but only good ones. Wait, don’t wear masks, wear anything as a mask. Never mind on the masks."

This appears to be a very exaggerated reference to the early days of the pandemic where it was believed by American scientists that generic masks weren’t the best option as research was being conducted, and that N95 masks needed to be preserved for health care workers. However, as research continued, it was discovered that it was better to be masked (even with just a cloth face covering) than to have nothing at all.
This is a symptom of the failure of scientific literacy among the general populace, sadly - there is a segment of the population who believe that when more information is revealed, it somehow proves that all scientists are always wrong. What it actually is would better be described as "hey, we learned more - here is what we learned and how."
Here is a great educational video from an educational source that explains the changing in messaging about masks: https://youtu.be/1jB8JlJXpSM

18. "Not sure, but if you don’t, you hate people because you could be an asymptomatic spreader. Wait. That's not a thing anymore?"

That's never not been a thing - this is another fabrication. In fact, there has been a growing body of evidence about asymptomatic spreaders.

19. "For 3 months, NOTHING was more important than social distance. In fact, we gave up all of our liberties for it."

No liberties have been “given up”. This is an argument that has been used by people who either don’t believe in science, believe that COVID-19 is some sort of global hoax, or don’t care about the safety of those around them. See #15.

20. "We canceled schools, medical and dental procedures, yet allowed the murder of babies, canceled activities, closed businesses, eliminated every spring rite of passage from prom to graduation, denied people funerals, even at Arlington, and we wrecked the economy for it."

Again with the so-called "murder of babies." Anytime one makes accusations of "murdering babies" in this context, they're trying to rile others up with falsehoods. See #2.
Activities were canceled to slow down the spread of the virus. Medical and dental procedures are still going forward, though spread out more as hospitals are getting overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of people falling ill. And the economy is only "wrecked" because people weren't willing to take the pandemic seriously and America is not willing to have a decent social safety net.

21. "Then came social justice, and social distance was no more."

False statement - See #15.

22. "Now things are more cut and dried though."

Nonsensical connecting statement.

23. "A thousand people at three memorials for someone they never even met."

That woefully understates what the protests are about. It's racist and insulting.

24. "It's a matter of "respect". But you can only assemble 100 or less people."

This is wrong in a number of ways. We're being murdered, and the protests are "a matter of 'respect'". And assemble by which state's standards? At which point during the pandemic?
This really underscores how insulting this post is designed to be - it provides general, unsubstantiated information in a misleading way so that it can make people angry at those who are marching against injustice.

25. "I’m really confused now."

That's apparent.

26. "Look at the data, NO, not that data. Do the math. No, you can’t do the math like that."

See points 16 & 17.

27. "Only the experts can understand the data and math."

No one is actually saying this, as far as I can tell.

28. "What do you mean other cities/states/governors are interpreting the data differently?"

Well, some governors are ignoring the data as it comes in, and others want to stop the pandemic. So... yeah. I mean, literally, that's it. Also, the president is presenting misleading information purposefully.

29. "Pools are safe in Indiana, but not Michigan? Playgrounds are safe in your town but not mine? Amusement parks are safe in Florida but not Ohio, nor Michigan."

These are not safe anywhere. See #28.

30. "If you are silent you are part of the problem."

It’s not clear to what this is referring. If it is referring to people being complicit, then yes; but if it is referring to people who are being silenced? Then no. There's such a thing as nuance.

31. "If you speak, you are part of the problem."

Are we talking about things like the Nazis who got kicked out of Walmart? Or people who sealion? Because they certainly are part of the problem.

32. "If you have to ask, you don’t understand."

That's generally why people ask questions - because they don’t. 

33. "If you don’t ask, you don’t care."

Says who? What if they don’t know to ask? There is nuance that needs to be considered.

34. "It’s all so predictable, tedious, and exhausting. Nothing adds up. It’s one gigantic Math life problem, with ever changing denominators that I’m sure the media and politicians are eagerly ready to solve for us...until the next "crisis"."

The scare quotes around indicate that major crisis events are crises at all.

35. "So, for now I pray. I pray God will heal our land and bless the United States of America! Bless us with Wisdom, Kindness, Gentleness, Mercy, Love, Peace and Healing. Things that Really Matter! We all Matter in God's Eyes!"

This part here is faux piety - religious stuff that appeals to a higher power to cover when one is being racist or otherwise terrible in a veneer of wanting something good to happen. This is designed to look like one wants something positive to ultimately happen without actually doing the work needed. Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer.

36. "You can Copy and Paste. I did!"

This last sentence indicates that the post is a fabrication. As a celebrity, if Bubba Watson had actually said this, it would have been publicly shareable. He even said that it would have come from his personal account himself - see #1.
But as I said, he didn't post this. I don’t know anything about him, but I do know that he would have a good reason to not post crap like this: it's designed to make it look like the pain and suffering that Black people have had to endure for generations is nothing, and that we have to ignore science and not stop this pandemic. That post is shameful.

As I said, this is the kind of post that takes longer to explain why it is incorrect than it takes to craft in the first place. Posts like these are filled with half-truths and blatant lies, rapidly strung together with innuendo, making it look to the casual observer that there may be a good point. It’s nothing more than a racist dog-whistle.

If you see someone share this shameful post, I hope that what I have written here can help explain why it is a terrible post.

Normally, this is where I would ask for your support in continuing my analyses and reviews. In light of recent events, I would ask you to consider donating to charities or fundraisers related to the Black Lives Matter movement, Native Lives Matter movement, the ACLU, the NAACP, memorial funds, legal defense funds, and the like. Look into what is happening in your communities and help locally. We all do better when we all do better.

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