“Oppression Olympics” – we’ve all heard the term, but in more recent times it’s become more prevalent, and ultimately it could be the downfall of many oppressed groups.
These past two weeks have been incredibly tense, and it’s been one of the most turbulent times I have witnessed in regards to the conflict in Palestine and Israel. The atrocities have been devastating. Witnessing, online, young Palestinian children dying and mass funerals for whole families has been mentally draining and tragic. All the graphic videos and pleas for help from Palestinian citizens seized my attention, but another thing caught me by surprise. This was the emerging conversation regarding people’s willingness to raise awareness about the conflict.
The standout discussion for me was seeing the comparisons between the Black Lives Matter movement and the war on Palestine and in all honesty, this upset me. I fail to understand the obsession with the Oppression Olympics conversation, and I certainly don’t understand what positive outcome it could possibly achieve. What I do understand is how constantly engaging in this discussion will stagnate the progress that is needed for marginalised and oppressed groups in society to succeed and find the emancipation they search for.