This is a revolution.
As of this writing, it is Thursday June 25, 2020. The presence of a progressive movement is permeating throughout America. The specifics of what this movement wants can’t seem to be agreed upon by those in the media or even by those who are participating in it. Do protesters want to “Defund the Police”, or “Abolish the Police”? Why are we removing and toppling statues of people like Teddy Roosevelt and Ulysses S. Grant (historical “Good Guys”)?
Due to this confusion, the progressive movement often gets made out to be lost anarchists, looking to create chaos. But to me, even though there are movements all of the country, asking for many different things, there is clear common ground. People recognize that the system that was put in place to justly govern us in 1787, is not justly governing us in 2020.
A constitution that allows for some to have 10 homes while others sleep on the street and starve, does not justly govern us.
A constitution that allows for the state to kill its citizens, does not justly govern us.
A constitution that allows for slavery, does not justly govern us.
This movement is about more than police brutality… This is about an unjust system! This is a revolution!
We are done looking for justice by reforming an unjust system. The established government has reformed itself many times in the past, yet none of those reformations brought with it the justice or equality they promised. Reform has been used as a tool to quell the masses who complain of injustice. Those who reform care more about the appearance of justice than the administration of it. Thus, it is only fair that the “heroes” of the past, the ones who reformed this country, stand side-by-side with the “villains” of their time.
The established government of today is no different than that of the past. Our government is split between wanting to do nothing and wanting to reform just enough so that the oppressed stop complaining… no hero can come out of that debate. Although the conservatives of this country resist change and make progressives out to be “terrorists” and “bums”, they at least see this movement for what it truly is. The American Conservative is not exaggerating when they say the progressive movement has “moved on, past Columbus and the Confederate generals, to dislodge and dishonor the Founding Fathers and their patriot sons.” The liberals and democrats on the other hand, refuse to acknowledge how the progressives of this country truly feel. They try to quell our thirst for justice with kente cloth and tidbits of reform. Don’t be fooled by their rhetoric, they are no closer to our side than the conservatives. The Democratic Party ensured a Segregationist would be their presidential nominee instead of a candidate who promoted a universal right to education and healthcare (two systems that disproportionately disadvantage minorities in America). Again, the establishment is not on our side nor has it ever been.
That is why we cannot look to anyone in the established government, or its past, to help our cause. The revolution will not be started by a “liberal” politician. If you genuinely care about this movement and the oppressed people of America, you must take action. Not your elected officials, not the organization you donated to… you. The revolution starts with you.
