As protests erupted throughout every corner of the USA and across the globe in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, news pundits and politicians immediately began condemning the violence. The resounding opinion held by many was that this was not the ‘right’ way to protest.
While the news commentary evolved from combating police brutality and abolishing racism to shock and disgust over violence that had emerged within the nationwide demonstrations, viewers were fed a different narrative. One along the lines of police shouldn’t kill black people, but you’re protesting the wrong way. Many people offered their two cents on what they considered to be the correct way – peaceful and respectful were words that were thrown around – but if history was any indication, most people took issue with civil rights protests no matter how they were presented.
Let’s rewind a couple years and revisit one of the more ‘peaceful’ forms of protest we’ve witnessed. NFL player Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the US national anthem and showing his stance on police brutality against the black community. A symbolic and silent form of protest that angered a nation. What followed was incessant ranting about keeping politics out of sports and outrage over the supposed blatant disrespect towards the national anthem, and once again the conversation shifted from the real issues to a nationwide discussion about what the right way to protest is.
Some may argue that the ability to critique a movement is the result of a healthy democratic society; however, the voices tend to object much more loudly when the issue at hand has to do with racism in our beloved country. In particular, the hypocrisy from right wing media regarding the protests is astounding. Viewers are subjected to 24 hour news coverage of the apparent savage riots and violence from people they say are disrespecting their country and ignoring law enforcement and politicians. While there are several different aspects of these echoing opinions that need to be discussed, there’s one looming question that many are wondering. Where was this same rhetoric when the armed protesters entered the Michigan statehouse not that long ago demanding the country reopen during the peak point of a deadly pandemic?
Trump has dubbed the peaceful protesters in Seattle’s autonomous zone ‘domestic terrorists’ yet when the people protesting stay-at-home orders arrived at Michigan statehouse with an abundance of weapons, Trump 2020 hats, and a smattering of xenophobic and racist paraphernalia, Trump tweeted that they were ‘very good people, but they are angry’. A stark comparison in how he views his devoted fan base versus those who threaten the national status quo. If the situation in Michigan happened in any other country we would be shocked. They would be labeled as militants and extremists. Or say perhaps these people were black or brown, do we truly believe that they would be shown the same amount of restraint and respect that politicians and law enforcement gave them that day? The answer should be a resounding no.
People may argue and say that anyone would be foolish to listen to Trump – and many don’t directly. The real issue is how these racist and hypocritical views have infiltrated our media and trusted news sources to then be consumed by millions who go on to develop their own opinions influenced by what they’ve seen. Trump’s mindset has inadvertently influenced half of the nation. If you’re unsure if that’s true – ask yourself, your friends, and your family what they thought of the Michigan demonstration versus the Black Lives Matter protests. There seems to be a strong justification for carrying firearms and intimidating politicians and legal staff – because these people were desperate to get back to work. Unfortunately, it would be rare to find that same justification applied to the current protests – i.e. It’s okay that there’s some level of violence because these people are desperate to not be killed at the hands of law enforcement.
The sad truth is, in modern day USA, the right way to protest is to be white.
