My student is texting me, upset at what's happening. Wondering if it's hypocritical to want to see these guys laying siege to our government leaders treated like they treated protestors who marched in defense of of Black Lives.
Here's what I told her:
Here's what I told her:
Be careful of false equivalences here.
Racism and anti-blackness means that Black people are always presumed to be dangerous, even when peaceful.
And white people are assumed to be peaceful, even when they are dangerous.
Racism and anti-blackness means that Black people are always presumed to be dangerous, even when peaceful.
And white people are assumed to be peaceful, even when they are dangerous.
Right now, police officers are failing at keeping people safe and are protecting folks who've explicitly declared themselves to be targeting elected officials.
This is not the same as me walking a public street asking police to not kill my child.
This is not the same as me walking a public street asking police to not kill my child.
They've invaded a building to effectively overthrow the government. That requires a different level of restraint and defense than folks simply asking to stop state-sanctioned murder.
We have to be real careful not to fall into the trap of conflating people fighting for liberation with these folks fighting to oppress.
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