In Support of Black Lives Matter
Last night, we were all huddled around the TV. We were watching the news. The screen continually projected images of people looting and rioting. And then, finally, for a split second, it cut to one LAPD officer who was arresting two young men with their hands up. The officer threw them to the ground. It was horrifying to watch. Instantly, they went back to the looting and rioting.
That moment defines so many instances where those not of color just don't understand the oppression that Black people face on an everyday basis. They're all ready to condemn the reaction but not the cause. I have seen videos where officers have thrown people down to the ground. One woman was thrown so hard that she had a seizure. All she did was ask why she had to move. The NYPD were proud of the fact that they drove a vehicle into protesters. Police have been shooting people on their own porches with paintballs after curfew. And yet there are still people saying, "blue lives matter," or "all lives matter," as a response to posts of Black Lives Matter.
The violence is senseless. Police exist to protect the people. You are not protecting the people if you are throwing them down to the ground. You are not protecting the people if you put your knee on someone's neck until they stop breathing just because you can. This is everyday sadism. And the violence that Black people face is essentially a continuation of lynchings. This is systemic racism.
Many comments about the violence of the police is related to the violence of the looting and the rioting. But the point is that police don't have a reason to be violent. There are a lot of different emotions that go into rioting. There's plenty of anger but there's also mourning. Think of all the riots that were related to civil rights - the Zoot Suit Riots, the Stonewall Riots - that ended with strong movements. There's reason for Black people to be angry with their country. There is no reason for the violence from police.
I'm going to post some links underneath here.
First is this video from Trevor Noah that really helps contextualize what is going on currently. If you would like to donate, there are plenty of places to do so. I donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. There is also the Black Visions Collective and Reclaim the Block. You can also donate to the Black Lives Matter website. If you can't donate, there is a petition up at Change.org for Justice for George Floyd. If you would like to help but don't know how, there is a post from The Current on how to support the struggle against police brutality.
That moment defines so many instances where those not of color just don't understand the oppression that Black people face on an everyday basis. They're all ready to condemn the reaction but not the cause. I have seen videos where officers have thrown people down to the ground. One woman was thrown so hard that she had a seizure. All she did was ask why she had to move. The NYPD were proud of the fact that they drove a vehicle into protesters. Police have been shooting people on their own porches with paintballs after curfew. And yet there are still people saying, "blue lives matter," or "all lives matter," as a response to posts of Black Lives Matter.
The violence is senseless. Police exist to protect the people. You are not protecting the people if you are throwing them down to the ground. You are not protecting the people if you put your knee on someone's neck until they stop breathing just because you can. This is everyday sadism. And the violence that Black people face is essentially a continuation of lynchings. This is systemic racism.
Many comments about the violence of the police is related to the violence of the looting and the rioting. But the point is that police don't have a reason to be violent. There are a lot of different emotions that go into rioting. There's plenty of anger but there's also mourning. Think of all the riots that were related to civil rights - the Zoot Suit Riots, the Stonewall Riots - that ended with strong movements. There's reason for Black people to be angry with their country. There is no reason for the violence from police.
I'm going to post some links underneath here.
First is this video from Trevor Noah that really helps contextualize what is going on currently. If you would like to donate, there are plenty of places to do so. I donated to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. There is also the Black Visions Collective and Reclaim the Block. You can also donate to the Black Lives Matter website. If you can't donate, there is a petition up at Change.org for Justice for George Floyd. If you would like to help but don't know how, there is a post from The Current on how to support the struggle against police brutality.