We may breathe the same air, live in many of the same neighborhoods, shop in the same stores and eat in the same restaurants but we live in two different worlds. We may all be Americans but we definitely live in two different Americas.
In the America black folks live in they are shot to death by police for sitting in their own homes or sleeping in their own beds and sitting on their own couches. They are killed by those same police for selling loose cigarettes, passing a counterfeit $20 bill and being pulled over for a simple traffic violation. Our children are even killed for playing with toy guns in the park all by themselves.
However, if you’re white in this same America you can storm the United States Capital without tear gas, rubber bullets, attack dogs or multiple shots fired. You can break into the House Chambers or even into the Speaker of the House’s office and write notes on her desk without hurt, harm or danger.
These are the distinct differences of the worlds we live in, in these United States. It’s the sad truth.
The last time our Nation’s Capital was stormed was in 1814 during the War of 1812. On Wednesday people that call themselves Americans were climbing the walls, breaking windows and overpowering the Capital police.
In 2016 Colin Kaepernick took a knee in a peaceful protest against police brutality, racial and social injustice and they called him un-American. When his colleagues joined him people threatened to stop watching the NFL because they said that the players weren’t patriotic.
The people have clearly spoken with the election of a new president because we live in a democratic system. Therefore, what we witnessed on Wednesday in our nation’s capital was insurrection not patriotism.
All we ever wanted in this country was to be treated fairly. As black folks, we weren’t looking for the police to shoot and kill folks like they do us. We are looking for the police NOT to shoot and kill us like they did white folks on yesterday. It’s a sad day in America when the constitution can’t be upheld because there are people that don’t respect it. It’s even more heart breaking to know that if it were black folks storming the capital on Wednesday there would have been a mass funeral next week.