At the annual BET Awards earlier this June, winning artist Doechii used her moment on stage to condemn the human rights violations happening just outside the building in Los Angeles. Simply put, there are no excuses to be made; what is happening in the U.S. currently is unjust and unconstitutional.
“In the name of law and order, Trump is using military forces to stop a protest, and I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be – when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us,” Doechii said.
Despite its peaceful beginnings on June 6, Republicans fond of President Donald Trump are choosing to focus on the damage caused by the protesters who have chosen to fight back and make a stand, labeling the damage as a reason for deportation.
People have been backed into a corner by fear-mongering and are expected to comply without hesitation. This is not what the Constitution stands for, and it isn’t what any person with an ounce of sympathy for others should stand for. The severity of the situation calls for action.
Journalism is also once again a target amid the crossfire. Australian television reporter, Lauren Tomasi, for 9News, was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet by a member of the LAPD during her live coverage of the protests. She was clearly marked as a reporter, and although it is unlikely she was a target of the LAPD, it’s still jarring that nothing has been done in response.
Actions being taken by both LAPD and the government are shocking, but nothing new from the Trump administration. Trump has labeled protesters as “troublemakers and insurrectionists” and, in response, deployed 2,000 National Guard troops without state consent, according to CBS News. Nothing to this extent is ever done in response to neo-Nazi rallies that happen regularly in the U.S., many of which have happened in Ohio.
Extreme violence at the expense of innocent bystanders and independent businesses in cities should not be a result of these occurrences. Despite this, people are going to fight back when their lives are threatened, especially in a country that preaches opportunity and freedom. The lack of consideration for people’s livelihood does not coincide with the safety and equality protections promised in the U.S. Constitution.
ICE’s purpose is to exist for the country’s safety, as its focus lies on the enforcement of immigration laws related to criminal investigations. People coming into the U.S. to exist and start a livelihood are far from criminal. People who are being ripped from their homes are going to condemn the higher power responsible, in this case, Trump and the U.S. government. This is not about safety; this is meeting a quota, a number.
The Republican Party has always aligned with liberty, economic prosperity and American values and traditions. Even with the party having majority control in the House, Senate and with the presidency, none of these claims have been upheld. The U.S. is a nation of immigrants, apart from Native Americans.
Immigrants make up 1-in-6 workers in the U.S. In 2020, during the height of COVID-19, 19.8 million immigrants held an “essential” job. Trump’s idea of purging the country of immigrants is not only unattainable, but also goes completely against the Republican Party’s value of economic prosperity. What he is doing, instead, is blatant racism.
Lives are being uprooted, and people are being physically harmed by the U.S. government. The press and coverage of what is going on are being disrupted. Along with this, the deployment of troops to L.A. is costing taxpayers $134 million. To say the U.S. has put its racial past behind it is turning a blind eye. To continue to treat it as a political issue is tone deaf and ignorant of the broader picture. When celebrities become this vocal and back the protests continuing around the country, there is something of a bigger magnitude going on that demands the attention of those staying silent.
Abby Jenkins is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about her column? Email her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
