Dear elected official,

Please take your time to thoroughly review my message. You should not see me as just a registered voter, but also as a member of society that cannot bear to see humanity crumbling all around her. If you choose to ignore this message, I will take it as an act of violence, because silence is as good as murder in the case of human rights. I am reaching out to you to put my faith in you to take action against injustice, so please do not betray me, your constituent, along with my brothers and sisters who are doing whatever they can, including risking their lives, to be heard. 

I have seen countless videos and heard countless stories of the incidents that have claimed the news. Protests are breaking out in violence all over the country, but who is starting the violence? Evidence shows that police officers and white supremacists are disguising themselves as protesters and encouraging property damage. I have watched videos of police officers breaking shops and windows out in the open. The protesters have been assembling peacefully, and some protests end peacefully as well. People have claimed that the media arrived and left at the scenes of peaceful protests because there was nothing exciting worth filming. The media is not our friend in this situation. They are helping create a bias in our understanding of the riots by only showing the protests that cause the most damage. Protesters have even verbally discouraged looting during protests because they know they’ll have fingers thrown at them if they do otherwise. 

The police are trying to be smart in arresting protesters. They close any means of getting home, including blocking roads and closing transportation, minutes before declaring a curfew. And as people are left stranded at the sight of protests, the police arrest them. This is their premeditated plan to silence these protesters. In one protest, a black man knelt calmly, hands in the air, in front of some police officers. He tried reasoning, “If you charge us, and we charge you, what does that do?” The officers only responded by dragging him and handcuffing him even though this young man was not a threat to anyone. 

The situation at hand is blatant police brutality. Even those who are not involved in the protests are becoming victims to it. A white mother and 3 year old daughter were trying to get back home quickly because a protest was occurring nearby. An officer saw them, and the mother immediately started begging him to let them go. “We are not involved in the protests. Please leave my 3 year old daughter alone.” The officer ignored the mother’s pleas and proceeded to throw tear gas in the child’s face, which soon started swelling up. The police are the ones committing the violence here.

And even if it was the protesters committing the violence, why are they so quickly looked down upon? Why did the media not look down upon white sports fans causing property damage after their team lost (or won)? The fans only lost a game, but our society is losing precious lives! Is the media telling us that a game is worth all that property damage, but the many brutally ended lives are not? When white people were protesting to get a haircut during quarantine, they yelled and spit in the faces of the police, but the police did nothing more than preventing the protesters from entering certain areas. The president referred to them as “very nice people.” Now, we have many people of color coming together for a more noble cause that will span many more generations to come. They are protesting with peace and reason. Shouldn’t we call them “extremely nice people”? Why does the president refer to them as “THUGS”?

The president has been very clear in his remarks. He is declaring war on justice and equality. The police are not coming to protect us. The comment that “Not all cops are bad” has already lost its meaning. The purpose of cops is to provide safety and help us feel like we can enjoy our lives in peace. Not a single cop should be bad in the first place! If one cop is bad, there is already something wrong with the system. And to see so many cops willing to torture protesters as they have in the past week frightens me. The president has ordered the cops to take part in illegal activities and to show no mercy. They are covering their badge numbers and using other techniques to hide their identities. They are using unnecessary violence to torture the protesters. The National Guard is being sent to deal with matters at the state level. The president has shown his regard, or lack thereof, for America’s beloved Constitution. This is an abuse of power. Our self proclaimed democracy has quickly dissolved into tyranny. 

The president has overlooked the presence of certain laws as easily as he breathes. Yet George Floyd couldn’t even hold his right to breathe when he did nothing close to threatening the freedom of the entire country. In the clip of George Floyd having his throat pressed on the ground, the officer was telling him to “relax.” Why is it that police officers, who have trained to fight, can lash out in reckless behavior under the pretense of self defense, but untrained civilians must “relax” while balancing on the line between life and death?

It is because of this evidence I believe the police have turned into a threat and that the federal government is no longer on the side of the people. I urge you to resist the orders of the federal government. If you do not put in your best effort to help this cause, you will not only be losing my trust, but the trust of all those with whom I stand. Let’s consider your position as an elected official. Your purpose in a representative democracy is to speak for the people. You are voted into office by the people saying that you will follow through with your promises. Here I am as one of those people asking you to speak for me and my brothers and sisters. If you disparage my voice with your ignorance or lack of action, you would be no better than the tyrant wreaking havoc in his own country. If you are informed of any police officer causing violence or any officer watching idly while another inflicts harm, charge them for their crimes. Hold them accountable. It is your responsibility to prevent this country from descending into a state of immorality.

Sincerely,

Shreya Kumar