We Must Do Better

What is happening right now in America is indefensible.
Watching cops pepper-spray peaceful protesters so the President can stand in front of a church for a photo op is supposed to be the thing we watch in a movie where the President is the secret super villain; it’s not supposed to be the reality we live it.
We shouldn’t be in an America where the National Guard is turned on its citizens because the President refuses to fix a problem.
Police brutality isn’t supposed to be the kind of thing that we have to fight against, because it shouldn’t be a thing at all.

When the Hong Kong protesters were rioting against the CCP, they waved the American flag because of the freedom it represented.
How come we’re failing the flag? How come we’re not being the best we can be? Why aren’t we striving, every day, to be the best representation of the flag and everything it stands for?

We are not okay.
As a nation, we are hurting and broken.
Some is ignorance, some is racism, some is literal, physical pain.

We Americans like to pride ourselves on Exceptionalism, as if we’re a country that somehow doesn’t have the problems the rest of the world does, as if we’re better simply because we aren’t them.
But how can we be better when we let ignorance and fear and racism prevail because it’s easier than leaving our comfort zones and learning about other people?
How can we stand behind federal leadership that doesn’t seem to care about anything other than their chance of reelection?
How can we stand behind a police force that treats “force” like the only option?
How can we be okay watching the National Guard shoot at American citizens?

We can do better.
We must do better.
Because right now, we’re failing.