My Problems with the Washington Riot

Photo credit: Getty Images

I have problems with the Washington Riot

But I want to make it clear what I have problems with.

I’m not gonna list all the things that may or may not have been illegal. I’m not gonna talk about how significant it was that it happened in the capital. I’m not gonna talk about the religious implications that “Christians” did this. I’m not bothered by what they did, I’m bothered by why they did it. 

Before I go on, I know that not all white people will fit into what I’m about to say. I know that not all black people will fit into what I’m about to say. But for the most part, 2020 showed us that many of these protests have been divided by color lines. Many white people have been on one side with many black people on the other.

That being said…

I notice that when black people protest, it’s almost always because of life-threatening issues. So black people are getting killed via police brutality and black people protest. Were some of the protests violent? Yes. Were some of them a little extreme? Sure. But the reason was always because of a life-threatening issue. 

New data show that police violence predicts Black Lives Matter protests
Photo credit: REUTERS

White people on the other hand, have protested because of non-life-threatening issues. When they were told to stay at home because of a pandemic and to wear a mask, they stormed capitol buildings with AK-47’s. Not only was the reasoning for protesting not life-threatening, but the protests themselves were life-threatening. It was white privilege of poetic proportions.

Image may contain Footwear Clothing Shoe Apparel Pants Denim Jeans Human Person Ron Gardenhire and Sunglasses
Photo credit: Jeff Kowalsky

And now white people are protesting again. Why? Because their president lost an election. Even if it truly was rigged; even if Biden and Kamala were in cahoots with Ukraine to undermine American democracy; even if all of that were true–nobody died. No one was shot. Literally no one’s life was in immediate danger. And white people lost their minds.

What’s more telling about white people protesting for non-life-threatening things is that there are actual life-threatening things to be protesting about. When black people started chanting “Black Lives Matter”, white people said, “But white people get killed by police too.” So where were the protests? Why was there never a “White Lives Matter”? Why has that never been a thing? Why is it that when a white person shoots up a school, white parents don’t flood the streets with protests? Instead we see protests against gun laws.

Time and time again, we see black people protesting when their lives are in danger and white people protesting because they don’t get their way. And that was what was on display during the Washington Riot and that’s why it bothered me. What we saw today was white privilege spiraling into Hollywood-level terrorism. We’ve seen this movie before and it doesn’t end well.

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