Posted: August 11th, 2022

The Use of Violence

The Use of Violence
Activists of recent events have committed and advocated the use of violence to express their “frustration” or political “positi
The Use of Violence
Demonstrations by activists have been caused by various reasons and circumstances which vary from a region to another. some of these causes are like frustrations and political positions, among others. The causes of political protests are a combination of various factors like rising inequality, dashed expectations, and persistent corruption. There have been rising cases of inequality in the united states. Police brutality has been a major cause of the violent protests where African Americans are being killed while unarmed. That is directly linked to the country’s governance and how some of these laws need to be revised. A perfect example is George Floyd, who was recently killed by a white police officer while unarmed.
George Floyd was an African American man. He was killed while under the police custody in Minneapolis, and his murder sparked global outrage since it was captured on video. As soon as the video was released, demonstrations and protests against police violence and racism sparked worldwide. The whole issue has been going on in the middle of a pandemic (Oriola & Knight, 2020). Protesters have been marching in cities for days demanding justice and an end to police brutality. The reason why the case was taken seriously was that the number of African Americans killed by the police in America has been increasing over time.
My opinion on these protests, either peaceful or violent, is that they help African Americans gain a sense of belonging because they see people fighting for them with a lot of aggression. Police brutality creates fear among African Americans, especially the youths and not because they are wearing black, but because of the blue men. According to his skin color, George Floyd was judged not because of his actions (Schwartz, 2020). Everybody is created equally with his or her intellect, beauty and creativity. The white people are not supposed to look at the black people as garbage in the streets. Fighting for what they stand for and equality is vital if the government and society do nothing.
It is disgusting and hurtful to see some people consider themselves more superior than the others. The black community feels betrayed. The police put in a position to protect us, but some of us don’t feel safe around them; what an irony. Every person has a dream and a hope for the future. Taking away a mother’s child and killing their dreams should make anyone feel guilty. The violent hatred has been overlooked for the longest time. However, the existence of some hashtags like ACAB should not be allowed because the public defenders are carrying the burden or rather sins of just a few. That is supposed to be a moral issue, but it is a political issue that is very devastating.
Properties have been destroyed, and buildings have been burnt, vandalized, looted, and defaced in the middle of the COVID 19 pandemic. These damages are further hurting people despite the financial crisis due to the pandemic. There are those activists who have peacefully demonstrated but are often gassed and badmouthed by the opportunistic rioters. The kind of hatred already existing among the white people and the black people are spilling out of individuals and the nation. What is affecting us now was as a result of what happened long ago. The racial discrimination Act prevented black people from associating with the whites in public places such as hotels, schools and businesses before they were reformed.
The acts of violence fueled by the government or people in achieving the desired political goals are known as political violence. Political violence could involve a state against another state, which is referred to as war. It could also involve a state against non-state actors, referred to as genocide or police brutality. It can also be a rebellion where non-state actors fight against a state. That could also be termed as a riot or treason (Kampragkos, 2019). When the government refuses to act upon a situation, for example, denying resources to political groups within their jurisdiction can be a form of political violence.
People believe that often the political system fails to respond to their needs and demands, and therefore, resulting in violence is the only way that they could be heard. According to the people, violence is justified in such a case, and with evidence, their political objectives have been met that way. The government also thinks that to intimidate their populace into acquiescence, the only way out is violence. The only time that violence is justified is when it is used by the government to defend its country from invasions from outside. otherwise, the use of violence by the government in conquering a territory
In conclusion, the use of excessive or unwarranted and the illegal use of force against people by the police in America is a form of police brutality, ranging from battery and assault to torture then murder. George Floyd is just one case among others of people who have been murdered in the police’s hands. Other cases include that of Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, among others. Police brutality being a form of political violence, it can be defined as a violation of civil rights. These issues can only be solved when reforms are made and enacted, especially on those laws that deal with racial discrimination.

References
Oriola, T. B., & Knight, W. A. (2020). COVID-19, George Floyd and Human Security.
Schwartz, S. A. (2020). Police brutality and racism in America. Explore (New York, NY).
Kampragkos, C. (2019). The Recurrence of African American Political Violence in Literature. Ethnic Resonances in Performance, Literature, and Identity, 129-145.

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