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Written by Shreya Venkatachalam
Texas, USA
America, 'Land of the Free, Home of the Brave'. America, 'the land of opportunity'. Under the surface of all the praises, is America, 'country of prejudice and oppression'. Whether the country is number one or not, rich or poor, free or captive, discrimination has been evident across the globe since the beginning of human kind. Every once in a century, America gets a deeper insight and understanding of the racism and unfair treatment of the African Americans in the country. 1852 holds the unforgettable book of "Uncle Tom's Cabin", revealing the true horrors behind slavery. About one hundred years later, the famous speech given by Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a Dream" delivers a punch to America, waking the sleeping country up, to fight for equality. Now, amidst a world pandemic, the death of one person in Minneapolis sets thousands of people spreading from sea to shining sea, raging in fury against all the atrociousness of racism. Pinning him down in a manner that prevents his ability to breathe, a few police officers unintentionally cause African American George Floyd to suffocate and eventually die.
The news that used to contain dry and depressing information about Covid 19, is now bursting alive with all the protests occurring throughout the whole entire nation.
Years of chained up anger, frustration, jealousy, and pain, breaks out of its shackles, destroying everything that causes its agony. The people of America lose their patience when it comes to equality and justice. The people of America fight back and protest.
Some protests are silent and cause a calm awakening.
Others are plain violent.
The motivation behind the fury and the goal the protests work towards mirror President Abraham Lincoln's dreams of giving everyone equal rights and opportunities, regardless of race or color. While the objective of these protests matter and are very important to not just America, but the whole world, fighting for justice with acts of injustice defies the purpose. The universe has lost enough lives in the hands of a deadly virus; more lives shouldn't be taken for something all people should have without the need for fight.
Freedom.
When the people certified and eligible for handing out justice and maintaining order fail to do their job justly, others try to take up the responsibility in their own hands. However humble and noble their intentions are though, the people out there, burning down police cars, breaking in and looting stores, and harming more and more uninvolved civilians, are not justified in doing the things they are. However, what most don't realize is that the line between justice and pure vengeance is too thin- crossing over to the other side, is too easy. Unable to see past their personal anger and hurt, they continue in this routine of mass destruction to what was the #1 country.
Though violence has occurred during the protests I believe this movement to be very vital for the society as whole. This unrest is needed for our country. With our current media the chances of achieving rights and freedom are higher than ever- with that, the fumes of hatred are also more raging now. We are at a point where the only way to get the unalienable rights every human deserves is through voicing out and fighting. Change is happening. Movies, books, documentaries, and ads on persecution against race and the current situation of the black community release into the public and increase awareness across several races. Politicians are now at a position where ignoring the fuming public is no longer a choice. This is change. While racist views have not been swept clean, and will most likely take years to soften the curves of, the current protests in this anti-racial movement make a difference in cultural norms, igniting the beginning sparks of the growing fire of revolution.
