Enough

Ten days into protests, there has been a shift from solidarity surrounding the events that led to George Floyd’s death to increasing calls of “Enough.” People are seeing the destruction and want it to stop. They are seeing the violence and want it to end. And they are seeing the images of fires, destroyed businesses and violent confrontations, and getting angry. How can this be ignored? 

I want the looting to end. I want the destruction to stop. I am concerned about the innocent lives and businesses caught in the middle. I feel unsettled and conflicted. I feel angry. But I am also keenly aware, if this is how I feel after only witnessing ten  days of unchecked violence, how must my black brothers and sisters feel after four hundred years of unanswered violence?

The truth is, instead of saying “enough” to racial injustice when it could have made a difference, we said “enough” to protests honoring Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, and too many others to name. We said enough to kneeling in protest during the national anthem. We said enough to requests to remove Confederate monuments and flags that only serve as stark reminders of past oppression. We said enough to equal opportunity, affirmative action, and “reverse racism.” We said enough to “Black lives matter.”

When is enough, enough to justify civil disobedience?

We are at a pivotal point for our country and race relations. While I, too, long to end the chaos we see livestreaming across our social media feeds, I know that we need to approach resolution differently this time. Our goal cannot be simply to quiet the problem; our goal must be to address the problem and resolve it. Peace cannot continue to be attained at the expense of our black brethren.

It is more than time to say “Enough.” Enough to a justice system that disenfranchises people of color. Enough to those who enable that system through action and inaction. Enough to those who care more about suppression than de-escalation. Enough to racism in America.  

 Which side of “enough” will you stand on?