Justice and America's Self-Reflection.

2020 certainly is a year that is one of the most important years in human history.  While Mitch McConnell cowardly doesn't want to critique Trump's terrible response to peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C., we will speak out in criticizing a terrible administration. Last night on Tuesday, we have seen thousands of peaceful protesters demonstrate in over 200 cities of America. The vast majority of the events were peaceful. While we disagree with unjust violence, many people omit other forms of violence in our world. Poverty is violence, police brutality is violence, and the conditions of oppression are the representatives of  horrendous violence too. These forms of violent conditions are deplorable. The protesters have experienced curfews, mass arrests, and police abuse, but they are still here to advocate for the creed of freedom plus justice. The unjust murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis represented another new era of our history. As black people, our eyes have been open.

Today, people from other backgrounds increasingly are finally waking up to witness the fact that piecemeal change will never cut it. Only structural, revolutionary change matters in the development a system of justice beneficial for all. Polls show that the majority of Americans support the protests in America, and they disagree with Trump's response to this whole situation. We have seen demonstrations in favor of black human rights in London, in Paris, in Berlin, in Copenhagen, in Amsterdam, in Dublin, in Auckland, in Sydney, in Tehran, in Halifax (in Canada), in Idlib (Syria), and in other places of the world. We are living history today. Some omit information about some of the police forces targeting not only demonstrators, but many have targeted journalists plus photographers. In Philadelphia alone, many evil people assaulted protesters and media people. We have seen innocent journalists being hit with pepper spray or unjustly arrested by some members of the police. We have exposed how white racists created a fake pro-Antifa account to advocate for violence. Still, we will defend the freedom of speech, the right to assembly, the freedom of the press, and the right to express our legitimate grievances. The black freedom movement remains stronger.

Monday on June 1, 2020 was another disgraceful part of our American history. On that date, we saw police using tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons against innocent protesters in Washington, D.C. There is not a single justification for such actions, and people, including religious clergy, are outraged at such evil acts. Afterwards, Trump arrogantly showed a Bible in front of a church. Trump's motivation is not about reconciliation, peace, or harmony. Trump wanted a photo op in order to agitate more tensions, promote authoritarianism, and seek the continuation of his brutal regime. Many religious people are outraged at this, but some Evangelicals are stone cold silent, because some of them care more for bowing down to their political idol (who is Trump) than advocating justice. Even the Bible cited information on care for the sojourner (or immigrants), standing up for the poor, loving your neighbor as yourself without exception, and advancing mercy. His threats of using the military in the streets of America and exacerbating more tensions signify more of his failed Presidency. These attacks on the First Amendment (the freedom of speech, the right to petition the government, and the right to assemble) by certain police forces show us that Trump's agenda is antithetical to democracy. Time after time again, we see that this current administration is one of the most racist administrations in American history. We, who are black people, have warned people. We have warned people about the character of the current occupant of the White House and the corrupt system for a long time. In the international places of London, Amsterdam, and Rio in Brazil, human beings have raised their voices to oppose police brutality and racism (in Minneapolis alone, the police in the city have used force against black people 7 times the rate as compared to white people). The protesters are right and clear that the police are not infallible, the police has no right to oppress you, and black people must have their total human rights honored worldwide. Social justice is what humanity is advocating. Therefore, we have hope for the future, and we will continue to say the truth that there can be no peace without justice.

A lot of political news are in the world. The challenger Nikil Saval (who is a progressive) has defeated State Senator Larry Farnese in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 1st District senate seat. The district is found in Center City, South Philly, and North Philly. We have the first African American woman mayor of Ferguson, Missouri. Her name is Ella Jones. This has been 6 years after the killing of Michael Brown. Steve King lost his primary race. People know about King's notoriously racist and xenophobic comments for years. A large part of the why we have the situation of 2020 is because, many progressive laws were created back then along with the reactionary backlash against those legitimate laws. Also, by the end of the 1960's and the 1970's, the powers that be restricted the resources that could empower many communities. Many folks stepped away from helping the poor and disenfranchised communities. That is why racists scapegoated black people for the socioeconomic problems while desiring the same old laissez faire economic system that ruined so many lives. For generations, political leaders and policymakers not only segregated communities. They invested in militarized police, the expansion of the prison industrial complex, decreased the social safety net, and institute lax housing. This has grown unemployment, ruined public schools, grown gentrification (done by large corporations and developers who care for private profit at the expensive of the displacement of human lives), and harmed water systems in many communities of America. Committing resources to rebuild communities is a necessity as even cited in the 1967 Kerner Commission. Any solution has to deal with grassroots organization, community empowerment, massive structural changes, police accountability, and federal government investments. In other words, ordinary people must have the resources to follow their own destinies collectively with federal government financial resources. Also, multiple solutions are needed. You need lawyers to defend people's rights, you need charities and other organizations to help the suffering, you need great political leaders who can pass great laws, activists to inspire society, and human beings in general making life better for everyone. Police terrorism must be abolished. Many of the same ones who lecture us about Dr. Martin Luther King's advocacy of nonviolence refuse to talk about Dr. King's anti-imperialist views, his pro-democratic socialism, and his advocacy for the radical redistribution of economic plus political power. Since the corrupt system has been used to oppress us, we must end that system and replace it with a system of justice. That is our aim.

A lot of news are coming out today. There is the police using tear gas and arresting an innocent man in Kansas City. Also, the police used tear gas in the face of a young black woman for no reason at the same location. We witness large, peaceful protests in Los Angeles, Houston, New York City, Minneapolis, and other places of America. We have Trump who was once in a bunker coming out to threaten to use the U.S. military to "dominate" U.S. protesters. That is provocative, evil rhetoric. Also, we see the heroism of the demonstrators, because we are in a tipping point. In life, we witness struggle. This time is no different. One part of the problem is the massive militarization of the police since the 1960's. Many officers embrace a culture of "us vs. them" with massive militarized weapons that further inflames the situation. Conflict resolution and de-escalation of tensions are the order of the day now. We are in 2020 now. There is no justification for police terrorism period. One good news is seeing the young people among many colors worldwide coming together in opposition to racial injustice, to poverty, to economic injustice, and to all of the evils that plague our land. Minnesota have issued a civil rights investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department over the unjust murder of George Floyd. Reactionary policies and neoliberal centrism won't work. Only, structural change will work to make sure that the future will exist in the Promised Land. Like always,

Black Lives Matter.


By Timothy