This isn’t my normal style of post. Nor will it be anywhere near my internet comfort zone. As a rule, I don’t discuss politics or current events that are heated online. I find that the internet just isn’t usually a conducive place to have a constructive and polite conversation about such things, so I avoid it in such a forum.

However, things have taken a decidedly different turn from normal. Days are becoming bleak, and the outlook is getting very concerning.

Allow me to preface with a brief description of myself. I am in the Midwestern United States. As a 27 year old female, I have an interest in hunting, the outdoors, guns and knives (mostly swords, really), and a lot of geek culture. As one could gather from my blog, I am an author. Depression and anxiety are constants in my life, but manageable ones. My only “babies” are four cats that range in age from 8 to under 1. My best friends are either high school besties, or the bestie I met on Neopets in elementary school and have since basically adopted as my, like, third or fourth sister at this point.

Religiously, I am a Christian. I don’t go to church or regularly read the bible, but I try to live how I feel the good Lord wants me to. Some of my friends live opposed to how some Christians feel they should, and that’s fine by me. They’re happy and healthy, and that’s more important to me.

Politically, I like to call myself decidedly independent. I really couldn’t tell you what my political leanings are, but I can tell you when I agree or disagree with something someone’s doing.

This is all background so you see how I see myself. I feel like I’m coming from a pretty neutral ground, though you may feel otherwise. As I have no other real description or background of myself on this site, I feel this is vital so that you may read my thoughts on the current situation in the country in the light I see them in.

In recent times, an unarmed, potentially innocent man was killed by a cruel police officer while other cruel officers stood idly by and watched. This unarmed man was already restrained, already in handcuffs and under control, and was of no threat to the officers on the scene. This man pleaded for his life, and instead it was taken from him.

I hope the Lord has a safe, comforting place for his soul to rest, and that he does not watch what has unfolded since.

It took several days for the officer responsible for the arrest to be arrested and charged for the death. This is reprehensible. Many, all across the nation, have said so. Many officers across the nation have said as much, of the entire situation.

We don’t like what happened, at all. We agree, this needs to change.

Naturally, the protests begin. People have begun exercising their First Amendment rights. This is the way to change. Many in history have done just this, peaceful gatherings and marches for their causes.

Unfortunately, some have corrupted these peaceful gatherings. Looting and rioting have begun, across the nation. Innocent people are being hurt, killed, in these protests. Officers who are only trying to keep the peace are falling in the line of duty. Business owners with no stakes in the game other than being American citizens are having their shops ransacked, their livelihoods ruined just because their place of business was there and not heavily guarded enough.

In other areas, either officers in charge or politicians in charge make terrible decisions to use unnecessary force on peaceful protests. Innocent people get gassed, shot with rubber munitions, and beat on. It reminds me of the reactions to marches for the Civil Rights Movement.

Yes, I capitalized that. It was important. That was a huge part of American history, and we need to learn from it.

Our protests need to be peaceful. It makes our message more sincere, and harder to deny. They can’t use those who are violent or use the protests for criminal activity to sully the meaning.

At the same time, the opposition needs to be peaceful as well. History will look back and see how cruel we are to each other now. Future generations will see it, and be sickened and disgusted by the police attacking peaceful protesters, the rioting and looting during what should be a sincere and honest protest, and the absolute civil unrest.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. We are seeing this right now. Worse, everyone has easy access to cameras and video recorders now. This will be even better documented than in the past. We must correct our course now, before we fall prey to our own hatred, viciousness, and evils.

To close, I have a message not just for my fellow Americans, but for the world. Because as 2020 continues to rage out of control, peace, love, and unity are more important than ever, and I feel this message is just as important to the world as it is to the country:

United we stand, Divided we fall.