Image credit to shutterstock.com/g/munshots
As we awake from another night of protests and violence with sirens and helicopters still overhead, I look at how we got to our current breaking point. With the killing of George Floyd, the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the killing of Breonna Taylor, and the killing of thousands of other innocent black men and black women before them, it shouldn’t be a surprise the country is angry. The country is in protest and yes, there is looting. Although I do not condone violence and looting, I can understand how and why it is happening. It’s easy to point fingers and cast judgement and it’s way too easy to point blame, but let’s take a moment to look at how we got to this point and the relationship between protests and politics.
To my many friends and family who say, “I don’t do politics” or “I don’t get involved in politics”, what you’re really saying are the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor don’t matter. You’re telling me the life of my husband doesn’t matter. You’re telling me the lives of my husband’s family don’t matter. You’re telling me the lives of my family and child don’t matter. I encourage anyone who has said these words or had these thoughts to take a step back for a minute and take a look as to why you are able to say, “I don’t get involved in politics”.
Let’s also take a look at protests. For communities who have no choice but to protest, have you asked why? Do you know and have their fears? Are you afraid to go for a jog because you may be killed? Are you afraid to sleep in your bed at night because you might not wake up after being shot eight times? Are you afraid to make a purchase at the local store because a police officer may put a knee on your neck and kill you while three other police officers assist in executing you in broad daylight? Do you have to change your name in an email to get a response for a job interview? Do you see neighbors cross to the other side of the street when you’re out for a walk because “they’re afraid”?
If you are white, I bet your answer is no. You don’t have to worry about a random act of violence or an unwarranted murder against you or your family or your friends. You don’t have to worry about being racially profiled when applying for a job or going for a walk. And although you think these actions don’t directly affect you, these actions are affecting your family and your friends. Protests and politics affect you and they affect those around you.
So, let’s go back to politics. When you say, “I don’t get involved in politics,” you are dismissing the murder and the social structures that enable the suppression of our black and brown communities. You are saying “I don’t care” and are content with the current social structures of the United States. Right now, we have a disease in the White House. We have a President who stirs fury, hate, religious and racial divide. For those who say they have other reasons to vote for Trump or they want to remain neutral, I strongly encourage you to truly fact check all your reasons. Read a source other than Fox News or CNN, and look at the full picture. We don’t and can’t live in a silo. I’m not telling you what to believe, but I ask you to question. I ask you to look at how the Trump Presidency has affected so many people around you, but also how it has affected my family.
The Trump Presidency has affected my marriage. It’s affected my family. It prevented my husband from seeing his mother due to an illegal Muslim ban and it continues to affect many other families today. It’s left my husband wondering if ICE was going to knock on our door to take him away for doing nothing wrong. It’s left our growing family wondering when my husband will receive his approved and delayed permanent green card on the path to US citizenship. There are many points to raise, but I want to focus on the anger and the fury of the country over these past few days.
You must get involved in politics. You must do it for those you love, and you must do it at not just the national level, but even more so at the local level. Protests are just the start to change. President Obama said it best in a post this morning:
The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable; in fact, throughout American history, it’s often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities. But eventually, aspirations have to be translated into specific laws and institutional practices – and in a democracy, that only happens when we elect government officials who are responsive to our demands.
Moreover, it’s important for us to understand which levels of government have the biggest impact on our criminal justice system and police practices. When we think about politics, a lot of us focus only on the presidency and the federal government. And yes, we should be fighting to make sure that we have a president, a Congress, a U.S. Justice Department, and a federal judiciary that actually recognize the ongoing, corrosive role that racism plays in our society and want to do something about it. But the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels.
If I leave you with one thought today, please take a moment to reflect on the past week of pain in our country. Look within yourself and your past actions to learn to do better in the future, because we can all do better. For me, I can speak up for black communities when they aren’t represented in a room. I can call out racism. I can look within myself when I’ve acted in ways I may be ashamed. I can support the protests. I can feel angry, sad and torn apart. Learn to feel the same pain the black community is feeling, because this will drive change.
If you haven’t yet voted in your elections, get out there or vote by mail, register to vote if you’re not yet registered and let’s all make a change come November 3rd for everyone. Let us learn from our past mistakes and support those who are hurting the most right now. Get involved in politics.
I feel pain for what’s happening g, we can’t look the other way, yet violence is not the answer, 🙏