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On January 6, 2021, the United States of America’s “democracy” showed its true colors. Its white face was quickly tainted with red blood, and its blue enforcers shook hands with injustice. THIS IS AMERICA.
America, the defender of colonialism.
America, the oppressor of blackness.
America, the king of hypocrisy.
BACKGROUND
A few days ago, thousands of Trump supporters raided the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. They successfully incited chaos and cruised through “heavily” secured areas. I would like to say I was caught off-guard, but we all knew something like this was bound to happen. In September, during the debates, Trump told his supporters to “stand back and stand by.” Trump knew how his trigger-happy puppies would interpret his message. The defenders of the Second Amendment would “stand back” with their weapons and “stand by” waiting for their moment to attack. After all, “true” Americans love an opportunity to “fight for what they believe in” and hide behind words like “patriotism,” “justice,” and “democracy.” These words tend to shield them from ridicule.
In the summer of 2020, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters were persecuted for peacefully protesting against centuries of police brutality, systematic racism, and anti-Blackness in America. These protests quickly resulted in causalities, serious injuries, arrest, and more
Following BLM protests, the country’s attention shifted to the presidential election. By the Fall of 2020, Trump supporters made the capital of the United States their new hangout spot. Trump's minions hosted frequent gatherings and wondered the streets of Downtown DC almost bi-weekly. Since November, Trump supporters have destroyed the property of Black churches in the DC area, attacked Black civilians, and have continued to wreak havoc in the city and violate several local laws. Has anyone done anything to stop the madness? No.
QUICK COMPARISON
I’m going to lay out some facts for two groups and I want you to tell me what you think…
Group 1
Type of protestor: Predominately Black people
Reason for protesting: Police officers are unlawfully killing Black people in masses (recent examples: George Floyd and Breanna Taylor)
Where: In public parks, public streets, etc.
Results of protesting:
· Protesters were killed
· Protesters were beaten
· Protesters were seriously injured (tear-gassed, blinded, rubber bullets, etc.)
· Protesters were targeted (ex: their property being destroyed)
· Protesters were labeled as “rioters,” “terrorist,” and “violent” by media outlets
Group 2
Type of protestor: Predominately White Trump Supporters
Reason for protesting: There are upset that Trump lost the election.
Where: United States Capitol Building located in Washington, DC (one of the most, if not, the most important building in the country)
Results of protesting:
· Protesters were asked nicely to leave the premises
· Protesters were told “I love you” by the President
· Protesters were allowed to be out past curfew
· Protesters were labeled “protesters” and “patriots” by media outlets
Something doesn’t seem right. What do you think?
This is what I think.
I think that in the United States, the words “patriots” and “protesters” are only reserved for white domestic terrorists and mobsters. I think that the government works to uphold social systems of oppression such as racism (which also directly supports capitalist ideology). Therefore, the government would be in support of all actors that are working towards the same end goal, which explains why they would support such blatant displays of white supremacy and privilege.
INTERNATIONAL VIEW
If you, the government, are going to further your white supremacist agenda by refusing to control a few thousand white criminals when you have the means to do so, at least think about how this makes your country look internationally.
If a few average Americans can penetrate Capitol security with such little effort, what can a highly trained foreign military do?
If U.S. citizens do not respect the democratic process, how can they force their ideas on other countries?
Should other countries be expected to follow a political model that is actively failing?
Can the United States still claim the right to use military force and other tactics to overthrow foreign governments for the sake of “democracy” and world peace when they can’t even control their own people?
Is the mighty country of America on its last leg?
I wonder what other countries are thinking right now.
BREAKING THE LAW
During this white privilege parade, many illegal activities occurred. As a law student, one of my many pastimes is to look at the world as I would a law exam. On law school exams, students are frequently asked to issue spot potential lawsuits and problems. Within the first few minutes of reading/watching the events on the January 6, 2021, I spotted several problems. I will list a few below for fun. For this activity, I will only be pointing out a few potential civil lawsuits.
Here are some problems I noticed:
· Congressmen v. Trump puppies- Assault
· Innocent bystanders v. Trump puppies- Battery
· Congress v. Trump puppies- Trespass to Land
· Congress v. Trump puppies- Trespass to Chattel
· Congress v. Trump puppies- Conversion
· Violations of all types of D.C. laws
No masks- violation of DC COVID rules
Open carry laws
Curfew violation
Trust me. There's more, but I will stop there.
CONCLUSION
All in all, this one is one for the books. If anyone is ever confused about white privilege January 6, 2021 explains it all. We are living through some very important times, all we have to do watch the King of Hypocrisy reveal its true colors.