Unconscious Reality

POC have protested peacefully, yet the same thing keeps happening! Blacks are being killed by white cops because, as a white-dominated society, we have let these racist incidents go unchecked. Murderous cops who deserve to be in jail get nothing more than a slap on the wrist or get fired. I’m sorry, but taking an innocent person's life should result in being punished to the fullest extent of the law, especially when it’s someone who is supposed to protect their citizens.

Rioting isn’t new. In fact, many riots actually do bring change.

If you’re frustrated with all of the rioting and looting, take a step back and ask yourself the root of the cause for riot. It didn’t start with George Floyd. It didn’t start with Breonna Taylor. It didn’t start with the dozens of unarmed black men and women who have been murdered by police over the last couple of decades. No, this is an issue that has run rampant just under the surface for centuries. Well now is the time to break the surface. The POC will not be silenced any longer. The tragic death of George Floyd was just the tipping point to unite the one's who have been oppressed for far too long. The government has failed to take action against discrimination within our police force, no matter how many peaceful protests have taken place in recent years. Rioting is the only way to garner national attention. Rioting gets Government attention. It sets the stage for necessary demands to be heard.

Do I support everyone who is looting? No, I don't. Many of the people who are actually looting are the people who hide under a worthy cause for personal gain. But it shouldn’t even matter anyways. We can’t keep acting like material items and possessions mean more than the lives of POC. For those of you offended by the #blacklivesmatter movement, step back and realize that this isn’t about you. Your response of “all lives matter” minimizes the purpose of the movement. Being pro-BLM doesn’t mean other lives don’t matter. It means we’re fighting for black livelihood, families, and communities who have been socially disadvantaged because of systemic racism. White people are not hurting anywhere near the same level. We can feel comfortable doing ordinary things that POC have to worry about on the daily. Certain situations could turn deadly for POC that white people wouldn’t even think could have any implications because all we have to think is “I’m innocent, so I have nothing to worry about.” POC don’t get that luxury. It’s called white privilege. It’s embedded in our society just as deeply as racism. You can argue all you want but that’s the way it is and has been for far too long.

Why do you think the government is trying to prevent these riots? Why do you think our president wants to deploy the military to stop them from happening? Because it scares them. Because the power of the people united against the system is a dangerous thing for them. But the power of the people is what will enact change. Real change. Necessary change.