OPINION
|
My Life Matters
By Thomas Small (11/20) Nothing that’s been occurring in America as of recently is the slightest bit surprising. No matter how much this country promotes equality and freedom for all, anyone can see this hasn’t been achieved. It’s nothing new. Yes, the ignorant love to say, “we aren’t in the past,” and “move on.” The truth of the matter is, how can you when these things are still occurring? No, there’s not a piece of legislature that literally states that “POC” (people of color) and, more specifically, “Black” lives do not matter, but this is how they are treated. Over this country's short lifespan, law enforcement has abused the Black community at every opportunity. After all, the first police department was formed when slavery was abolished. Before these men were called police officers, they were known as slave catchers; their jobs were to keep their towns safe from the large slave population. After that, southern states enforced Jim Crow laws and segregation. Once these laws were no longer in place, law enforcement participated in the war on drugs to further bring down the Black community. This systematic oppression doesn’t seem to stop. We are no longer in these times. The mistreatment in the past was more blatantly present, but only to those willing to acknowledge it. Ever since the Rodney King beating, one of the first recorded representations of police brutality, we have continuously seen videos of racially charged beatings and murders. How much more evidence can you get than a video? It should be impossible for anyone to ignore and deny these inequalities when they can see it happening with their own eyes. Of course, these videos don’t always matter in terms of the outcome of a case; at the end of the day, the jury has the last say. Has it gotten better? Has it gotten worse? If you want to look at how the United States government functions in terms of racial equity through a non-abstract lens, it’s gotten significantly better. No more slavery and no more segregation. If you look at the situation through an abstract lens it hasn't truly gotten better. In the past, the country used laws to oppress. Now, there are no written rules that state this oppression. Instead, the government they bends the rules that can be used to make this country's political and social landscape much less like more like the calm rolling hills of a golf course rather than the humid, muddy swamps of the Everglades. As a result, my parents were given an additional responsibility, not just to raise me into a man, but to raise me into a Black man. My parents have always made me aware that there are people in the world who instantly view you as a lesser person because of your skin color. They taught me how to analyze a situation and realize when someone in power is abusing this power and how to respond. They instilled lots of wisdom about situations that will occur strictly due to my complexion. They knew I’d never have run-ins with the police because of my own doing, but despite this, they properly trained me on how to respond and respectfully do as police officers say, just so that I can return home to them safely. No matter what any Black person, White person, Democrat, or Republican says, there are clear inequalities that POC and, more specifically, Black people face that white people don’t have to. For us, we are assumed guilty until proven innocent. I could write a piece with no end if I tried to point out each inequality, but I have grown tired. Tired of the oppression, tired of the blatant apathy, and tired of the lies. I refuse to be the passenger on what feels like an endless ride to the destination everyone will eventually reach. I will take the wheel, make each stop I feel is worth my time, and if there’s an obstacle on the road, I will reroute instead of pulling over. I won’t allow obstacles society puts in my way to hinder my journey’s experience. |
Still Going On
Thomas Small (12/20) Marvin Gaye released the album titled, “What’s Going On,” in 1971, now making this album almost 50 years old. This album was very different from many of his other albums. Gaye’s previous LP’s had different main themes. He started off making Doo-Wop and Pop music, but not this record. “What’s Going On” completely strayed from his normal; this record was focused on the troubling and tattered socio-political landscape the United States was experiencing in the early ’70s. During this time, we were in the Vietnam war for a grueling 15 years and there were an uproar of protests for different social groups such as members of the LGBTQ+ community, the Black community, and feminists. So, it’s safe to say that the country was at a great divide. Marvin Gaye decided to take on the hard task of addressing these social issues. Gaye opened this album with a song that just offered so much comfort, directly talking about war and how we must stick together. Of course, he wasn’t the first person or the only person to spread this message, especially at this time, but the way he expressed it was expertly beautiful. He offered amazing imagery in songs like “Save the Children,” and “Flying High.” He used up all 35 minutes of this album to portray a message; this message was that war wasn’t the answer and we must spread love. The sad truth is that the world is the same. Fifty years later, this country is dealing with the same issues. We still have a great divide. People are polarized and people are still losing their mothers, brothers, and sons due to the deathly grip Uncle Sam has around our necks. This country is currently experiencing a racial uprising like no other in our recent history; each state has had Black Lives matter protests. It’s beautiful to see something happening, but why now? Why not in 2014, when Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old Black boy, was murdered by police? Why not in 2009, when Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Black man, was murdered by the police? Why not in 1991, when Rodney King, a 25-year-old Black man, was brutally beaten by the police? As a 17-year-old young man, I haven’t lived through a lot of the Black struggles outlined above, but as a Black man in America, I and my people do have to live with the struggle now and I don’t see an endpoint in sight. We have been sick and tired of the mistreatment we have been facing since we were enslaved hundreds of years ago. The ignorant thought that racism isn’t around anymore has plagued too many people. The truth is, in the past racism was legal, with segregation and Jim Crow allowing people to mistreat and dehumanize us. Nowadays, the laws have changed, but many people have not. Their prejudices are still intact and acts of discrimination is snatching away the freedoms and liberties we are promised in the Constitution. We are disgusted and refuse to keep living in a country where we are looked down on, when the brutal reality is that we built this country. Those who enslaved us treated us as animals for too long. We are strong people, we are willing people, and we are loving people. But we will never stop standing against any and all injustices we face because the sad truth is, it’s still going on. |