I Watch Horror Movies Because Reality is Too Terrifying

This is Ahmaud Arbery. He was needlessly gunned down by three assailants while on a jog. I encourage you to visit that link, read the story, and watch the video if you haven't done so already.

It will make your stomach turn. But you need to watch it. I did not think I'd be as affected by it as I was, and that is why you need to watch it. It will leave its mark on you. (Those of you who remember the Rodney King dashcam footage from 1991 will probably relive some of the feelings that video drudged up several decades ago.)

Turning a blind eye only keeps you in blissful ignorance. It doesn't stop crimes like this from happening. It just lets you numb yourself to the horrors of reality - the pain of watching such cruelty.

Three white men trying to be gun-totin' vigilantes (and, yes, one of them is a former DA's investigator) versus one black dude jogging. The odds are remarkably unfair and, clearly, the intention was not to apprehend. It was to kill. Just look at the way the shooter is prepared and aiming. This was planned murder.

The level of racism involved is repulsive. Yeah, sure, I'm a white girl, but I cannot begin to fathom the mindset of these three racist pricks. Well, actually, I can. My grandmother was extremely racist. While she never killed anyone, she certainly did enough damage with her bigoted words.

And words... They spread like wildfire. They can teach us to love... or to hate. They shape our reality.

The whole reason I watch horror movies (and crime shows, true and fictional) is to understand the cruelty of real crimes. Real hatred. But damn, is it hard to watch real atrocities like this happen.

I saw 9/11 unfold before my eyes. I remember Columbine. The wars in the Middle East. I even lost a friend in Afghanistan.

But those seem so far away. So distant. This... This is personal. This could've been one of my friends. Ahmaud was clearly someone who was well-loved and respected by those who knew him.

Hatred is close to home. It is here. It is everywhere. Trust me, racism like this does not just exist in the south. It isn't just in places like Georgia. It is here in Michigan.

The next time you watch a horror movie, think about Ahmaud Arbery. The next time you see the racist cliche of the black guy dying first, think of Ahmaud Arbery, running from his three assailants. His murderers.

His murderers are even getting their own Facebook groups of people rallying to defend their actions. While they may have the right to form these groups and speak in defense, they are interpreting the situation through some very blind eyes, seeing only what they want to see when they watch that video.

Making a citizen's arrest with guns pointed at someone who is simply on a jog? I can't defend that. These guys are making white gun owners look bad, and they're TAKING SOMEONE'S LIFE with zero warrant for doing so.

Now, go watch yourselves a Jordan Peele film or two.

While the horror genre is moving away from some racist stereotypes, it cannot escape the reality of the senseless violence and hatred that black people face.

The real horror is living in our world.