Letter: ‘Karen’ meme is hurtful to those with the name

0

From: Karen Sweeney

Columbus

When someone is born, they are given the name of their parents or another loved one. Our names set the tone for our unique, individual personalities.

A group of Karens I’ve had the privilege to get to know are intelligent, kind and caring people.

However, now that our name has been hijacked, we are being viciously attacked — verbally, mentally and even physically.

Our name is being used in increasingly hideous ways.

Imagine how you would feel if your name suddenly represented everything wrong with the world?

Try putting yourself, your daughter or granddaughter in our place. Now, it’s you or your loved one’s name being used instead of ours.

When you see your name or your loved one’s name being used as a meme, it is incredibly hurtful and sometimes downright scary.

We have become scapegoats for everything wrong with world in 2020, and there is very little we can do about it.

Our name has now become a pejorative term for someone perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is appropriate or necessary. Anyone named Karen is described as a white woman who uses her privilege to get her way at the expense of others.

We have even been accused of causing the COVID virus.

When will it stop?

Karens can no longer speak up for ourselves. If we do stand up for ourselves, we are accused of being exactly what they say we are, "a Karen."

Imagine your loved one having to take this abuse every single day, only to be laughed at and never taken seriously.

Real Karens may absolutely not speak out against these grossly false accusations (created in the name of fun) at all.

Real Karens now cringe when asked our name.

We no longer return items to stores if they are broken, not wanting to risk becoming a laughing stock by "demanding to speak to the manager." 

Meanwhile, you and anyone else can return items and make complaints without even thinking twice about it.

If your name is Karen, you no longer order food in your own name — fearing it might be tampered with.

Imagine all this with your daughter’s or granddaughter’s name in place of ours. Did they do anything to deserve this? We certainly did not.

There will be hurt and tears shed. Then tell them it’s just a meme, it’s just a little fun.

Trust me, nothing will take away the tears.

No matter how many times you tell yourself it’s just a joke, it is never just a joke to the person carrying that name.

Sensible, reasonable people should see how wrong and cruel this is. It’s hurtful and it needs to stop, and the only way of stopping it will be if people start standing up for us.

Please remember this horrible fad could be directed at someone you love, or even directed at you.

You have a choice: You can either be part of the problem, or part of the solution.

What would your loved ones want you to choose?

No posts to display