America under pressure

Since George Floyd died, Americans have been revealing what is in their hearts, because pressure always causes humans to expose who they truly are. On one side there is empathy towards the plight of African American males who continue to be murdered by the police. On the other side there are citizens of this nation who simply don’t care. Michael Henkel of Philadelphia recently lost his job because he was caught on video tearing down Black Lives Matters signs and saying black lives don’t matter to him. Perhaps, more so than being racist, Henkel is simply tired of feeling the pressure.

There is so much anonymosity right now that most African Americans would say I’m wrong and Michael Henkel is simply racist, period but pressure can make people snap. I had a white friend in the 6th grade and we got along very well. One day a black boy in the class kept teasing her and pulling her hair and she blurted our “Stop it you stupid Ni**er.” She quickly put her hand over her mouth and seemed shocked at her own words. How could she be my close friend without exhibiting any signs of racism yet snap like that? Our classmate put pressure on her, and her words caused him to stop in his tracks. If we are honest we all at times have said things that were out of character when pressured. It may not have been a racial slur but could have been a curse word or negative statement about someone.

Queen sang these lyrics decades ago but they continue to ring true. “Pressure pushing down on me, pressing down on you. Under pressure that burns a building down, splits a family in two, puts people on streets”.

It seems that daily more Americans are showing the effects of living in a nation divided. Everyone is emphasizing their points of view and many are clashing with those who disagree. Past sins and recent events have collided and things are at a boiling point.

Aunt Jemimah, Uncle Ben, statues of Confederate generals, and the rebel flag being removed from NASCAR are pushing some to the boiling point. My Facebook newsfeed increasingly now indicates that many white Americans are feeling the pressure. Most were silent regarding the man in Buffalo New York who was knocked down by police officers, but are now posting regularly about the 92 year old woman who was knocked down in Central Park. It’s as if they desire to counter what happened to Floyd and other African American males by shifting the focus. I read with interest as friends of friends comment on these posts expressing how they wish it would all go away and saying that all lives matter.

This is a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water because ignoring recent events or emphasizing black on white crime does not change the fact that a few police officers have shown themselves to be brutal as well as racist. On the flip side,there are people of color cheering at all the changes and demanding more. What they don’t seem to understand is that discontinuing a brand of rice, and pancake mix, removing monuments, and emphasizing Juneteenth does not change the content of anyone’s heart. An increasing number of African Americans are expressing weariness from the daily onslaught from Donald Trump, whose latest outrageous take is that he made Juneteenth popular. When O read this I did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Black folk in my news feed are posting about this as much as my Caucasian friends are posting about the backgrounds of George Floyd and other black men recently murdered. Everyone is protesting something and if this keeps up, then by November this nation will truly be in trouble from all the point counter point that is going on. Everyone is trying to make everyone else feel their pain and accept their point of view. In addition to racial matters, there are many who seem on the verge of a Civil War, related to everything being blamed on the far left or far right. Instead of responsibility resting on the shoulders of individuals, there is always a conspiracy that is said to be from either Democrats or Republicans. I’m watching as “religious” people who say God is love are expressing a lot of hate.

To quote the current president, it's coming from “ both sides” America has turned into “ Us versus them”: black against white, Caucasian’s opposing people of all other ethnicities, rich fighting the poor, gay versus straight, conservatives blaming liberals and visa versa. One minute this nation’s slogan is “ Were all in this together” and the next it’s every man for himself. Marvin Gaye in his hit “ What’s goIng on” said the following:

Father, father, We don't need to escalate You see, war is not the answer for only love can conquer hate.You know we've got to find a way to bring some loving here today.

Many living today have been singing that song for 40 years yet are gearing up and arming themselves for a race war instead of seeking peace. Why can’t we give peace a chance as John snd Yoko begged us four decades ago? There seems to be a misconception that all whites and all police are being called in the carpet and that’s not the case. This causes offense and the need to defend and retaliate comes forth. There are law enforcement officials who have not gone in to work recently because they are protesting.

They are upset that their comrades are being charged with murder but some Americans see their actions differently. Many people of color consider this as the police officers indicating they want the right to shoot to kill even when not provoked. One black male on Facebook posted that the less officers on the street, the more black men will live. It’s all a very revealing indicator to where everyone’s heart is.

Tensions are high and as Cyndi Lauoer sang, “ True colors are shining through” only there is nothing to love about it. Some speak out of pain, others ftom fear and there are those who are bitter and resentful.

True colors are shining through and exposing who we really are under pressure. Each of us should examine ourselves and see if we like what is shinning through from us to others. Freddie Mercury did not live to see this day but he sure described it well. He said: It's the terror of knowing what the world is about, watching some good friends screaming"Let me out!". Pray tomorrow gets me higher.”Pressure on people, people on streets.THIS IS US UNDER PRESSURE.