Daniel Freer, June 3, 2020
Over the past few days, with the #BlackLivesMatter protests happening in cities around the nation (and the globe), I have started to reconsider some of my previous ideas about freedom. I do care about having the freedom to do and say what I want. But especially in these times, I realize that not all in America do have these freedoms, and it’s time to stop pretending like it.
George Floyd does not have the freedom to do and say what he wants. Neither does Trayvon Martin, or Philando Castile, or numerous other names of black and brown people that have been killed prematurely, without due process, and without even being able to speak or stand up for themselves.
As a person that values freedom, this is a tragedy.
And it isn’t even just the dead people that are denied their basic freedoms. Living, breathing black people began to protest Floyd’s death and were met with armed policemen, teargas, and rubber bullet wounds.
Compare this to the Covid-19 lockdown protests, where gun-wielding people screamed out absurd conspiracy theories about 5G causing a virus, or claiming that the reported deaths from the virus are fake, or unimportant. And they stood there, essentially, for their right to stand there. They stood there for their right to endanger other people in the midst of a pandemic. For these protests, the police were subdued. You could argue that this is because the protesters had guns (so police were not likely to get violent), but if #BlackLivesMatter activists brought guns to their protest, you can be assured the violence would only increase.
Trump, for his part, has vigorously supported one of these groups of protesters, and has sent the military in on the other. And he has certainly fought for his own freedom to Tweet out lies and hate. If you value freedom, Mr. Trump, value it for all people. Not just white people who support you.
But I’m still not done. People may say: what about the vandalism and looting? Aren’t the protesters just committing crimes now?
The simple answer: No.
The more complex answer: Yes, some people are committing “crimes” during the protests. Some of these “crimes” may be committed by real protesters, but in most of these cases, I do not view their actions negatively. For example, in my hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, one of our most notable downtown destinations is the Vance Monument. Protesters vandalized it, spray-painting “Black Lives Matter” on it. At first, I was upset about this, but as I read further I learned that Zebulon Vance, the man whom the monument is named after, was extremely racist. He fought in the Confederacy in order to keep slavery in the south, hoped to prevent black people from participating in government, and signed bills preventing interracial marriage. So is vandalizing this monument illegal? Yes. Is it bad? No. We need to do better, and sometimes you have to break something down in order to build it up again stronger.
However, there are some people who are vandalizing things and looting random stores, not to further the cause, but to enrich themselves. These are crimes. And people that are doing this without putting any thought into the larger goal cannot be considered true protesters. And as a result, the protesters cannot really be blamed for this.
I have a question for any policemen out there. If you are injuring the people in your city, forcing them not to speak and limiting their ability to protest, who are you fighting for? I always thought the job of a policeman is to protect all people in your community. But right now it seems like their job is just to protect the select few that buy their uniforms or pay their salary. Even if you are protecting businesses and their assets, why are you valuing these things above the actual health of the people in your community? You are an individual, and a human, and I think the best way to end these protests is to show your humanity and to connect with the disaffected community. I know being a policeman is not an easy job, and I generally respect the people that have chosen to undertake it as a profession, but I don’t know how you can justify hurting innocent people (even accidentally, much less on purpose) when your job is to do literally the opposite of that.
But rather than preaching empathy, Trump has encouraged more violence on the side of police, and more militarization of the crisis. He has linked all looting and vandalism to the protesters, even though most of this has nothing to do with the movement. And he has not yet come up with a single idea to improve the situation, other than the police showing more strength. For people afraid of overbearing governments and militaristic crack-downs on dissent, look no further than the United States. The main goal of the police and the government right now appears to be the quelling of black voices, or in fact any voice that wants to demilitarize the police. And militarized responses from the police only increase the divide in the community, proving to the police that their weapons give them the strength to control crowds, and proving to the protesters that the police are assholes that don’t care about their plight.
So yes, I support the #BlackLivesMatter protesters. And yes, I believe that the general responses from the police and the president have only hurt the nation further. And in the coming years, if we as a country continue to insist that we are the land of freedom, then I must insist that these freedoms are extended to everyone.