Right now the news isn’t full of protesting, rioting, the CHAZ/CHOP in Seattle, and more. When it comes to George Floyd and #NormalContact, we just wanted to remind you: #NormalContact has no official opinion on any of that. This is not because our volunteers don’t individually hold opinions. It’s also not that we believe that peaceful protest isn’t part of the First Amendment. It is, after all, the reason that #NormalContact can exist! (Note that #NormalContact as a movement also has no opinion on whether the protests are peaceful.)
Does that make #NormalContact racist? Lazy? Uneducated? Nope! It makes #NormalContact focused. Identity politics and a media frenzy encourage us to feel obligated to take sides on all sorts of issues. #NormalContact, on the other hand, declines that opportunity. #NormalContact stands for one (and only one) thing: we’re ok with having a normal interaction at a normal distance. This focus is core to the philosophy of #NormalContact. The issues of George Floyd and #NormalContact have zero overlap, and so we leaving that topic alone. #NormalContact as a movement avoids anything that could make it part of identity politics.
(Edit: we would like to clarify this point. No opinion is recommended by #NormalContact. That said, YOU should definitely have an opinion on the current situation. Being a normal contactor doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have an opinion. You should also expect that not all normal contactors might agree on issues like this one that are unrelated to #NormalContact.)
Race isn’t what #NormalContact is about
We’re wary of defining too many terms, but “micro movement” seems like a good one here. #NormalContact isn’t a broader movement with complex goals like Democratic Socialism or the Tea Party. It also isn’t an actual organization or company. It’s a simple idea that stays the same over time because it’s a notion of humanity. Our core humanity doesn’t change just because the news cycle did.
In many ways, #NormalContact merely defines a label in two words that otherwise would take over a dozen. It’s almost a form of slang, or an abbreviation. It’s not a political ideology, not a shelter for any particular ideology. And until normal contact is the norm again, #NormalContact will definitely be relevant and equally applicable to everyone of every color, of every political ideology.