Commentary: BLM protests are incomparable to the Capitol raid
Protests and artwork in Sacramento capture the concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The freedom to assemble; one of our foundational rights and the basis of the many laws America has been founded upon.
Living in a free country means we the people are here to uphold democracy, but at what point in time did the democratic foundation of America begin to crack? When did our unity turn into division?
When did our mutual respect end?
The Black Lives Matter movement, founded in 2013, was created “in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer,” according to the official Black Lives Matter website.
The recent Stop the Steal movement was created in an “attempt to overturn the 2020 United States Presidential election.”
Now what I believe is important to keep in mind is that one group of individuals is trying to fight for their right to be seen as equal among their counterparts in society while the other was brought together by a misinformed belief that they were disenfranchised through a “stolen election.”
But is there really room for this in a democratic society when there is loads of evidence that the American people were in fact NOT disenfranchised in our last presidential election?
I want to emphasize that the Black Lives Matter foundation was created in fact, with very real evidence, while the plight of election fraud was not.
So why is it that an attempted insurrection was able to take place at our very own Capitol building and so many citizens still think that these two groups of people are comparable?
I believe that although violence was seen within both groups, it is important to recognize how both bouts of violence were incited.
A sheer, terrifying truth unfolded in front of the American public the day that George Floyd was killed, the hands of police brutality on him for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
This same day, many of us questioned what constitutes greatness in America. This was the day when so many of us said, “enough is enough.”
These protests, mainly led by Black activists, soon erupted all over America in response to the numerous murders of Black citizens. Any sort of violence attached to these protests was never intended by organizers.
BLM activists everywhere recognize how incorrect it is to ambush businesses that had nothing to do with the injustice, but, regardless, why do officials put businesses on a pedestal while Black lives are held on the ground?
BLM activists everywhere recognize how incorrect it is to ambush businesses that had nothing to do with the injustice, but, regardless, why do officials put businesses on a pedestal while Black lives are held on the ground?
— Ria Dhamejani
It amazes me everyday that people don’t understand how simple it is to truly read the message this movement is sending. Black citizens across America have to live their lives in fear of being killed everyday, and yet we as a society seem to oversee this time and time again.
How are we supposed to compare looting to the exponential number of Black lives killed in America?
So, yes, protests did get violent in this plea for change. People are sick and tired of having to fear for their lives and that is the bottom line of this situation.
But creating havoc in the capitol building over a misinformed belief about an election? There is nothing to change nor is there any reason to have created violence for such a cause.
The violence that was seen on the day of the failed insurrection was led by right wing populists and far-right armed militias.
As barriers were breached and an angry mob of Trump supporters stormed the capitol, Americans watching from all over would soon realize the fury held in these individuals.
As I watched the terror unfold from the comfort of my home, I understood that the violence portrayed that day was something that no news source could distort. Every media outlet could only show the same destruction.
The Capitol raid was covered by many news publications compared to thousands of peaceful protests across the country regarding Black lives being at risk that were somehow only covered when violence began.
But of course, the media needs viewers which is why they would rather paint a picture that seems fearful rather than inspiring.
To them it is most important that they have people who turn the TV on and choose their channel.
Although we were able to see in real time that items were destroyed, historic possessions were disrespected, and people were assaulted due to a shared belief that the election was unfair, for some absurd reason people still believe that the way both of these issues were incited should be compared.
Absolutely ridiculous.
How can one even justify the chaos that came at the cost of this attempted insurrection? Are we really going to continue to make Black Lives Matter protests our standard of comparison when violence surfaces in this country due to a cry for change?
The businesses affected by BLM protests may not have done anything to deserve the ruins they were left in, but neither did the numerous Black victims of police brutality.
So what is a Target building compared to the Capitol building?
A big corporation has the ability to build another building and more if they would like.
The Capitol building is the source of so much of American history and a symbol of what this country has endured to get where it is today.
While violence may not be the answer, it is crucial that we as a country identify why violence had been created in these situations.
Stop comparing a ridiculous misconception to a marginalized group of individuals fighting for change.
It’s time we wake up and open our eyes to the years of injustice against the Black community in America.
Lives are on the line.
Taylor Langford-Wilson • Mar 19, 2021 at 11:46 am
Love this article Ria! Completely agree, very well written can’t wait for your next article!
Samuel Engott • Mar 19, 2021 at 10:55 am
I believe that both acts did not gain much approval from any side at any time. However, when you said that “Any sort of violence attached to these protests was never intended by organizers.,” its is clear that you aren’t giving each situation a equal lens to look through. As we all know, the group of people who protested at the white house recently exited a trump rally. Things got violent however, and they broke through the gates and stormed the capitol. Donald Trump did not explicitly say “storm the White House,” or in other words he did not intend for the white house to be attacked. But the damage was done, and that can be compared to the BLM riots. I guarantee the organizers of the BLM protests had good intentions, but billions of dollars of property damage to innocent people’s business and houses were caused. Both acts did not intend for violence to occur, but they did. Also I disapprove of they way that police are stereotyped as predatory in your article. “Assuming that an average of one police officer is involved per killing, then 1,004 police officers, were involved in fatal police shootings. Obviously, the typical police officer will never kill anyone in his career. A Washington Post database shows that 14 Black and 25 white “unarmed” Americans were shot dead by police in 2019.” (Donald W. Bohlken). The quote proves that 1,004, or a 1400 of 1 percent of cops have ever been in a shooting. That means cops are not predatory animals that hunt down people because of the color of their skin. Just because there are a few “bad apples” (just like the rioters and looters in the BLM riots, and the extremists that attacked the capitol), does not mean we should stereotype everyone related. Conservatives should not be labeled as “nazis,” cops should not be labeled as “predatory,” and Liberals should not be painted as “anarchists” because of a few rotten people.
lizzy • Mar 19, 2021 at 10:34 am
i completely agree. The capital building “protest” was because trump supporters were mad that their favorite president didn’t get elected back into office. The black lives matter protest were because the POC community and other ally’s were sick and tired of watching innocent black people die of police brutality and I think the fact that people are arguing over which one was worse is honestly gross and speaks volumes.
William • Mar 19, 2021 at 8:17 am
I do not agree with this at all. Black people have the same rights as the rest of us. Right to vote? Check. Right to bear arms? Check. Do the amendments in the bill of rights affect them? They sure do. While this means that they have the right to peacefully protest, this does not mean violence in the answer. Do you remember what black people did when they thought something was unfair before? MLK gave a speech. There was no violence. No destruction. Look how big of a change it caused. The statement that businesses have enough money to build another facility is just wrong. What if I destroyed a whole bunch of your property, but “you could afford to replace it?” That doesn’t seem fair, does it.You would still have lost a lot of money, which is exactly what’s happening to these businesses. These BLM rioters are fighting against the wrong enemy. They kill and pillage the innocent to do what? Prove a point? What is stopping them from just sitting down and talking about it? As for the capitol raid, I de believe this was also pointless and also should have been a “sit and talk” moment. I do believe that the officer who killed George Floyd should be punished. He had no right to kill him. However, I myself live in fear that BLM rioters will harm me or my family.