I have heard you yelling your obscenities, breathed in the black diesel smoke of your truck exhaust, felt my nerves perk as your barking dogs lunge at me, heard the heavy-handed honking of your horn, taken in each middle finger aggressively thrown in my direction, and seen you standing on the corner with your hand on your gun. All of these actions are strategically played to invoke fear and terror in the name of patriotism, liberty and freedom.
I ask, whose liberties? As we all exercise our constitutional rights, is that not patriotic? We march in peace but are met with terror. As we are called the f-word and bigots, then told we will burn in hell, we are also accused of being hoodlums and violent.
I hear the loud cries of “All lives matter” as a baby in our group chokes on the exhaust of your diesel truck. Who is the hoodlum? Who is inciting terror at a peaceful demonstration?
I am astonished by the veins in your neck that pop as I receive your hideous calls and gestures. I wonder, how did a message of peace and equality get so wrenched and wrangled in this system that it could produce such vitriol?
We live in a nation based on white privilege and white affirmative action. It is institutionalized and runs through the fibers of our entire system. We are all allowed to demonstrate, but could we at least let each other breathe? Bless America!
Lydia DeHavenCortez
