Do You See Looters or Injustices?
Don’t let your bias misguide your senses and block your heart.
You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.
(Isaiah 42:20, NIV)
As those who view the aftermath of protest regarding the life of George Floyd, how can you look past the years of injustices and point out looters?
How can you count the number of people who ransacked a Target, point out the TVs in their possession, and be blind to the travesties that have faced an American demographic for decades?
What a complete shame. To be granted the gift of sight and be blinded by bias. To be granted functioning ears that have become deaf to the cries of fellow Americans. Most importantly, to be granted a beating heart and not feel empathy for the hearts that have ceased functioning prematurely by the actions of another.
You should be angry!
Another citizen was denied their inalienable right to trial and has died on American streets. I’m tired of writing about this!
If we put the history of racial mistreatment aside, at the core of each post, you’ll find the want for individual rights to be for everyone. Yet, time after time, American citizens divert their focus solely on the criminality of looting instead of the denial of rights of an American citizen.
Why waste energy forcing your eyes and ears to be closed? It’s easier to acknowledge that all citizens should be given the chance to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What’s the reason to prevent them from having their rights?
Do I agree with looters taking advantage of a situation? No. Do I believe their actions cloud the underlying issues involving protests? Yes. However, I was given ears for a reason. By quieting my own bias, I am able to hear over the voices of destruction and listen to the hundreds of non-violent protesters.
Labeling all protesters as bad actors would be completely disingenuous when protests from other groups are siphoned and skimmed to recognize good actors. If you can do it for them, why can’t you see the majority of Minnesota protesters are peaceful?
They have a right to be angry because there has been too many George Floyds in the United States.
It is human nature to seek different modes of communication when barriers block transmission. Some groups have dealt with these barriers for far too many years. These same groups in America have; slaved for this country, fought for this country, boycotted for this country, sat-in for this country, and kneeled for this country as they were ridiculed for their fight against an invisible enemy.
How can you sit back and judge looters and rioters without seeing the many who have lost their careers, livelihood, and even their lives for non-violent protest?
Yes, Martin Luther King was one of the greatest American champions for non-violent protest and even he was slain. Instead of retaliating in violence, I strive to take up his mantle and be like him outside of Black History Month.
It’s easy to quote I Have a Dream for 28 days in February, but the true dream will require a lifetime of listening and empathizing with those who are different than you.
Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these recurrences of violence and riots over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention
If you are uncomfortable with how some individuals are reacting in the wake of consistent injustices in the US, give them their inalienable rights will help to break down the barriers of communication. It still may take time for words flow peacefully amongst different groups, but at least, the channel will be open.
It’s illogical to ask to end violence when peaceful demonstrations have been unseen by the blinded and fallen on deaf ears. Though I believe violence should never be the answer, I ask that everyone open their heart and help heal our nation.
Thank you for reading!
