What’s Next?

by Nell Corley

Since 2016, life in America has felt like some kind of political dramedy, with unnecessary tension challenging the plotlines of Grey’s Anatomy and the underlying ridiculousness of what our world has become, that makes me often wonder what the fuck happened and how the hell did we get here? 

Our show began in 2016 with the election - in an edgy series finale, the selection of the new president was stolen away from the intellectually superior contender and given to the idiot businessman. Ha-ha, hilarious! Good thing that would never happen in real life! Americans would never let a racist, sexist, and disastrously inarticulate man into the White House!

But we did. 

And the next few seasons have been a whirlwind. The Trump presidency began with protests and marches challenging his ability to lead. There have been tense discussions about immigration and abortion riddled with public scrutiny. Mass shootings. The #MeToo movement. Constant (literally constant) tweets about Russia, China, and North Korea. Whew. 

In a startling season finale, the hero of our story, Bernie Sanders (a likeable, genuine person who has been advocating for social issues while they were still majorly taboo, and his slogan “not me, us” promised to unite Americans once again) dropped out of the presidential race and left it to J*e B*den. Oh, sorry. Joe Biden. It irks me to even write his name, knowing I have to vote for him. 

And in a dramatic mid-season episode, a virus made its way to an unprepared U.S. 

We’ve watched Donald Trump “combat” (can you even describe it that way?) the COVID-19 epidemic by… tweeting? Blaming it on Barack Obama and China? Promising to prematurely reopen the country? Not providing critical aid to those suffering due to job loss or lack of medical insurance? Golfing?

And in a visually stunning finale, protests arose surrounding the literal lynching of George Floyd, a black man (also a father, activist, and dedicated working American) by police officer Derek Chauvin. 

The #BlackLivesMatter movement has been around for a while - but it is literally exhausting to see it still necessary in our country. In the last few days of May, protestors marched and shouted and fought to be heard. They screamed “I CAN’T BREATHE” - Floyd’s words as Chauvin sat on his neck and ignored his pleas. “HANDS UP, DON’T SHOOT” - in response to the many innocent, unarmed black Americans who were murdered by police officers or armed racists. Children like Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old who was shot by George Zimmerman because he “looked suspicious” while walking to his father’s fiancee’s place. Or Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was playing with a toy gun and was shot by a police officer. 99% of killing by police goes without conviction for a crime. 

The system behind policing simply no longer works. It is inarguably corrupt. Today, it allows cops to walk away from crime scenes (murder sites) with no punishment - crimes that disproportionately effect black men, women, and children. The reason we say “all cops are bastards” isn’t because all cops are bad people - it means that cops choose to join and support the police force, which is a corrupt system in which the members of the police force are given a free pass to unjust assault and fruitless murder. Not all cops are bad people behind the uniform; it’s willingly putting on the uniform that makes them problematic while the system is still as corrupt and rigged against black Americans as it is today. So, I’m sure your cousin who is a cop is a lovely person - but they support and don’t turn in the 40% of their coworkers who are domestic abusers. They support a force that uses excessive force on black individuals. The police system needs to be seriously re-evaluated. 

Some have been taking these times as an opportunity to loot and steal and harm local businesses - that is wrong. Period. However, when riots and looting are started by black protestors in response to police violence, non-black allies have no right to say a damn thing. People may be upset about smashed windows, raided stores, police cars up in flames… but children in our community are not being racially profiled. The country has not created a systemic school-to-prison pipeline for our race. Our community members are not being beaten and killed for their race. We receive justice where justice is due. We are not oppressed because of our race (not white individuals, at least). So who are we to try and explain to black people where to place their anger? What to do and what not to do? White people have done that for too long. It is our turn to stand beside our fellow humans and be allies. We cannot take control of these protests, riots, and marches. We must listen, learn, and allow black voices to be heard. We will never know what it feels like to be black in America - what we can do is try our best to listen and empathize. We must fight for what is right. Silence is violence. It is not the time to be indifferent - not when people are dying. Men, women, and children. Innocent people. Humans. 

And for the people silent about murder and police violence who only post about the riots when their city’s mall is being looted - sit down. 

I don’t even know why I have to explain this. Material objects > life. Objects can be replaced. Windows can be cleaned. Streets can be swept up. Buildings can be rebuilt. 

Lives are ended and that is it. They are over. 

So cry over your Nordstrom’s. But remember that George Floyd’s young daughter is crying over her father’s death. Check yourself. 

(That being said, I do not condone harming local businesses - especially businesses owned by people of color. But, that Hobby Lobby? That Chic-Fil-A? Burn it. I don’t care.)

I sound like an arsonist, perhaps, but I don’t care. Human life does not equate to burned buildings. Revolutions are not won by peaceful protests. They shamed Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee. They theorized about how child actors were hired for the March For Our Lives. How many fucking times has this happened? How many lives must be lost before there is a systemic change? How many?

This many. And more. Hundreds more. Thousands more. 

I am tired of seeing no action from so-called “allies” on Instagram besides posting a black square with no further resources on how to help. That is called performative activism. It allows people to think they’re doing good by following a trend. It is well intentioned - but we must do more. 

I am tired. And if I’m tired, imagine how tired black Americans are of seeing their community members be killed. Imagine how tiring it must be to have the world stacked against you - for your skin color. 

I can’t imagine. So I stand beside them. I will say it a million times - black lives matter. They may not fucking matter to our president and his followers, but they matter to the brave protestors shouting for equality. And I applaud every last one of them for standing up for what’s right.

This is a revolution. We will no longer be silent. Let the world burn if it must - no justice, no peace.