i hate this country so much. there is no sense of common decency or responsibility to each other within our leadership, and the rich control everything. people are gunned down in the street and there’s no one to hold them responsible because the killers are the supposed protector

we try to speak up and demand change and we’re derided as childish and petulant. we say that murder is wrong and instead of agreement we find more guns pointed at us. the ruling party is simply a cheerleader for a demagogue, and the opposition is barely better.

there is no semblance of this country caring about its people. at every turn, they do their best to convince us that we’re worthless and we should be grateful for the scraps we’re thrown, as if they’re some sort of savior taking pity on us for existing.

every single demeaning tweet, empty promise, commitment to inaction, obstacle to justice that is put forth by this country and its leaders is a decision to radicalize its citizens. this isn’t some unpredictable outcome. the revolutions we praise from history started from less.

and though to be sure i have my own taste of oppression because of my identity as a gay man in the south, it can’t begin to compare to the trauma experienced daily by my BIPOC siblings. that they aren’t out for blood is a testament to their strength and character.

the changes we’re demanding are not outlandish. indeed, they’re the bare minimum, and they come with doable action steps. yet even this is met with vilification and outright derision. this cannot continue for much longer without mass bloodshed.

can’t the blood spilled already be enough? the innocent, unwilling blood from those who never asked to be martyrs? or must we see more on our fields? must the blood of too many citizens and not enough rulers be the fertilizer that finally sows equality in this county?