Land of The Free?
Editor’s Note: This piece has been written in light of recent arrests of Black journalists during the 100th anniversary of Black History Month.
Anger. Frustration. Sadness. Fear. Rage. These were just some of the emotions that welled up when I awoke on Friday morning to read online that Don Lemon had been arrested. To further see that Georgia Fort, Trahern Crews, and Jamael Lundy were also arrested on orders by the current U.S. regime was disgusting. All because they defied the media blackout on the protests and showed the world what is happening in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas. Unfortunately, having lived under this odious administration for a year now, I immediately recognized it as a ploy to spark outrage and fear in the many people who have been rising up and pushing back on the occupation of I.C.E. in democratic cities. Regardless of how lawless this administration has been, it has been a consistent loser in the courtroom, and with no actual crimes committed by any of these people, I felt strongly they would quickly be released. However, the audacity of this illegitimate regime to fly in the face of constitutional rights still has the ability to spark the most guttural reaction.
As a writer, words and expression mean everything to me. I know that writers and journalists in the past have been a major part of how movements have taken shape and power has shifted. Seeing journalists and community organizers of the like be punished for this impact is another glaring indicator of where we are as a country. The fact that most of the detained were Black adds insult to injury. Having studied history and read about dictators in the past, it has been a terrible experience watching, in real time, as many of the things that should be impossible in this country, happen. It has not only upended many people’s beliefs in the inherent freedoms enjoyed in the United States, but it has also thrown the fabric of our society into question. For those of us who dare to dissent against the current administration, that we too could be unjustly detained in order to bully us into silence comes into sharper focused. Even writing these words right now for public consumption is a risk and an act of resistance that could potentially be dangerous. This is where we are as a nation.
Some days I am angry and ready to take to the streets. Some days I am depressed and ready to flee the country. Others, I simply turn my head away from the news to avoid it all, a privilege that many don’t have. I often look at my daily tasks and shake my head at the attempts to preserve a sense of normalcy. The bills have not stopped coming, so many of us have to simply find a way to continue handling our business in the face of so much uncertainty. At times planning feels delusional considering that future is in limbo. We don’t know how things are going to land. Many of us are just treading water trying to maintain our sanity while not giving up. A tall order and yet the task that we must face.
I have struggled with anxiety my whole life. There are times when those anxieties well up and overwhelm me. At the same time, though, it seems that my constant worry about things going wrong has prepared me for the times we are living in. We have been in unprecedented times for the overwhelming majority of my life. Only recently has social media enabled us to be able to see the full scope of what is going on in the world at any given time. I keep calm by reminding myself that this is not the first time that the world has been like this. The world is always changing and our false sense of security in the stability of things has perhaps been necessarily shattered. We are watching many endings and many beginnings. What is clear is that our current actions are shaping our future. Whether that is positive or negative is up to us.