It Was Not A Failure … It Was A Feature.
Stop saying “This Is Not America”. It is.
It is gaslighting to pretend otherwise, and perpetuates the systemic racism that upholds that system.
Unambiguously revealed in people’s living rooms. Again.
Only this time it reached the epicenter of power and scared the hell out of white “American” complacency. Or did it?
One form of Justice for white folks and another form of “justice” for BIPOC.
Did anyone notice?
If BIPOC were swarming the Capitol there would be dozens dead, and hundreds in custody on felony charges. Immediately.
The difference here is that BLM and Antifa marches and protests and demos were largely perfectly legal protected forms of speech, assembly and redress of grievances.
Violently repressed without hesitation.
The seditious conspiracy that was unleashed in Washington at the behest of Trump, Don Jr. (“We’re coming for you”) Giuliani, and Gohmert was a felony — indeed a murderous one after the terrorists pummeled a cop with a fire extinguisher to his head — the second they crossed the security line.
Or was it? They were LET IN by cops. How do you get convicted of unlawful entry — as many have been charged with — if a cop lets you in? Neat trick huh?
Instead of being gassed, clubbed, shot or taken off the scene in unmarked vans by unbadged mercenaries as happened to left leaning demonstrators throughout the country last year — these seditionists were also escorted out of the Capitol … by uniformed cops.
This is the power structure that exists in our country.
The Numbers Don’t Lie.
According to research conducted by ACLED (a data-reporting project that began documenting armed conflicts and protests in African nations and has begun doing research work in the U.S.), as reported on 1/7/21 in FiveThirtyEight:
“Between May 1 and November 28, 2020, authorities were more than twice as likely to attempt to break up and disperse a left-wing protest than a right-wing one. And in those situations when law enforcement chose to intervene, they were more likely to use force — 34 percent of the time with right-wing protests compared with 51 percent of the time for the left. Given when this data was collected, it predominantly reflects a difference in how police respond to Black Lives Matter, compared with how they respond to anti-mask demonstrations, pro-Trump extremists, QAnon rallies, and militia groups.
The differences in intervention weren’t because BLM protests were particularly violent. ACLED found that 93 percent of the protests associated with BLM were entirely peaceful. ‘Even if we were to put those [7] percent of demonstrations aside and look purely at peaceful [BLM protests], we are seeing a more heavy handed response [compared with right-wing protests]’.”
This was not a “failure” it was a feature.
A part of the system as it IS.
It matters not that there were BIPOC officers in the mix at the Capitol — and anyone who witnessed that Black officer desperately calling for backup running for his life upstairs would be moved to empathy and horror at the violent racist seditionists chasing him.
But that does not obviate the systemic racism that the system itself and its forces and support structures utilize and perpetuate every single day. It is a system of violent oppression judicially, financially, socially, educationally and a hundred other ways for some and genteel escorts while attempting a violent coup of our Republic for others.
Face it. Admit it. Own it.
And get to work dismantling it. What the hell else will it take?
This as quoted in “The Nation” …
“‘This is not America,’ a woman said to a small group, her voice shaking. She was crying, hysterical. ‘They’re shooting at us. They’re supposed to shoot BLM, but they’re shooting the patriots.’
A man, possibly her husband, comforted her: ‘Don’t worry, honey. We showed them today. We showed them what we’re all about’.”
… is what this country is up against. And has been for over 400 years.
As a white person it is essential for me to acknowledge that BIPOC deal with this on an hourly basis, while awake and when asleep. Every day.
To acknowledge that it is pernicious, it is violent, it is racist …
and it is who we are as a nation.
Will you do the same?
What will you do to dismantle white supremacy daily in your own life?
In your family?
In your community?
In this nation?
