Chloe Godding
America has become an extremely divided and hyperpartisan country.
Each political party has lost sight of America as a whole and instead has developed a sort of tunnel vision which has led them to overlook and neglect the beliefs and needs of others. Leading up to an extremely volatile election this November, Democrats and Republicans knew one thing for certain, and that was that the opposite party was evil, corrupt and wrong. Moderate candidates didn’t stand a chance as each side became more radicalized every day.
The summer of 2020 was violent and impactful. Black Americans were murdered and brutalized by police, leading to a loud call for an end to police brutality. The Black Lives Matter movement was politicized and made out to be what some Republicans even call a terrorist group. They countered the cries of outraged and hurt Black people with a message of “Blue Lives Matter,” failing to listen when they said “We already know.”
Republicans blame the media for creating hoaxes, making up statistics and doing things simply to make their president look bad. “Fake news” is what it all is. But you can’t fake the statistically higher number of deaths of Black Americans by police than any other race. You can’t fake the tear gas cannisters thrown at protesters for months. And you can’t fake the anguish that we all saw in the streets throughout the summer of 2020.
America is burning down and dying as we allow the veil that is politics to continue limiting human rights. Without reform of police, unbiased media and research and a president who actually cares for their people, America will never be great ever again.
It’s not quite time to celebrate
While Joe Biden’s win in the presidential election is a positive thing, as this article states, it is not time for “unguarded celebration.” Black Lives Matter activists are calling for many changes, and we have yet to see if Biden is going to support this movement in what it calls for. For instance, BLM activists are known for their platform of defunding the police, one demand in which Biden seems hesitant. This article highlights many areas of concern and simple uncertainty in terms of our new president. One thing that they can agree on is that voting Trump out of office was not only a good step for the Black Lives Matter movement, but a necessary one.
The future of Black Lives Matter
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/11/black-lives-matter-where-are-we-now/
Regardless of who the president is, there is still a lot of progress waiting to be made in regards to the rights of Black Americans. This article details where the movement is headed following the protests and global outcry throughout the summer. Looking forward, the movement is looking for reparations for Black people everywhere impacted by slavery, police reform, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the workplace and for people to continue being allies to the Black community. All of these things are important in the bettering of our country and the equity of all Americans.