Not literally. But what happened yesterday. I have no words.
Yesterday, we saw an example of the real America. I am not saying that the rioters are representative of all of America, not even all of Trump’s supporters. But what we saw shows the disparities in the country.
Being an American in Europe, friends and family members often asked me what I thought going into the election. I told them I was afraid for America regardless of the outcome:
- I feared what the world and, of course, the nation would look like under four more years of Trump.
- I worried about how Trump and his supporters would respond to defeat.
I was not prepared for what happened. I was not prepared to see how easy it was for these rioters to storm the building, disrupt the congressional proceedings, and occupy the building. I was not prepared to see the lack of resistance.
When you compare this footage with the responses to peaceful protests, you see the stark inequalities in America. When people of color protest to stop police from killing them, they are met with violence from the same police who victimize them. I watched videos of police vehicles running down protestors and videos of armed officers throwing the elderly and young women to the ground by armed officers.
People of color would have never made it into the Capitol building.
These are different experiences of America.
When we talk about America, what does that mean? Does my idea of America look like yours? That depends. I believe in America that creates opportunities for both citizens and those who want to become citizens. I believe in an America that makes sure its residents have their basic needs met. I believe in an America that is willing to assist those who are in need until they can provide for themselves. I believe in an America where people feel safe. I believe in an America where our institutions, public servants, and citizens work to make that a reality.
I have never seen that America, but I believe it is a possibility.
You may believe in a different America. That is your right. I believe in your right to have an opinion that differs from mine. But I do not believe in anyone using their beliefs as a justification to riot like we saw yesterday. I do not believe anyone has the right to condone that behavior or publicly claim to love the group and their actions.
And I certainly do not believe in the excessive force directed so blatantly at people of color.
I am an American. I moved abroad because there are fundamental problems with the country. I left because I had no idea how to address them.
I still don’t.
Watching what happened yesterday reminded me that even though I do not know what to do or what to say, staying silent makes me complicit.
When we talk about America, whose America are we talking about? Because chances are that my America differs from yours.