Why I Was Wary About Voting – Part 3. Trust in Government

Trust in Government

Like many others, I began to operate under the assumption that choosing to actively participate in the continuation of the oppressive regime of voting in new agents actually meant active participation in the annihilation of the African American people. Pew Research Center reports that only about 18% of Americans in 2015 trusted the government to do what was right for the people. Especially the marginalized. This distrust only grew deeper. Donald Trump, cloaked in xenophobic rhetoric, a slew of sexual assault allegations, and tax evasion became the 45th President. This despite losing the popular vote to Hillary Clinton.

A young voting demographic no longer believes in the mythology of the electoral college to keep elections fair. Most favored third party and independent candidates. The U.S. propagates liberty and freedom for all. However, the blatant disregard and enabling white supremacy from the Oval Office reveals many underlying issues in society.

Trump Administration

The Trump administration ostracized non-white, non-male populations and it seemed as if its divisive policies went unchecked. Furthermore, it seemed as if his rhetoric was almost justified by several media outlets. Common people saw Trump as a bold, stick to his guns type of leader. Looking across the aisle, the story was no different. Democrats did little in the past for Black people. So it’s hard to believe voting Trump out of office will dramatically alter the course of the country.

The way the Trump administration handled the COVID-19 pandemic became the boiling point of the fiasco. The pandemic disproportionately affected and killed Black people more than their white counterparts. It was coupled with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement following the deaths of Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. While the latter has been an ongoing issue, worldwide media attention focused on the movement. The lockdown forced many people to finally face the truth about the Black experience in America. The movement grew to become the largest civil rights movement in history.

However, despite growing awareness about the injustices to Black people, politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, responded negatively to the demands of activists. Police and white supremacist disrupted peaceful protests and marches. The call for change was deemed a crime. The ideology of the American government as a pillar of peace and order crumbled before the world’s eyes. Curfews were put in place and more effort was put forth to quell the protests and riots instead of directly addressing the underlying issues.

A New Election Cycle

Four months after the assassinations of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rashard Brooks, and many others, we were in the full swing of an election cycle. Politicians rallied to appease Black voters and hope to secure their votes to secure their own positions. I was unsure of how to feel about all the Black people I saw cry for revolution in July and then use those same voices to urge their peers to vote in the system that oppresses them.

On one hand, I understood their argument: the revolution was a long game to play and many just did not have the time. In the meantime, we can elect people we can hold accountable to enact legislation that can greatly improve our communities.

While I can agree with this on a local level, the federal government was not, and is not, designed to help any non-white, non-male community regardless of who sits in the Oval Office. The Constitution was not written with Black people in mind. It specifically disenfranchises them. History has shown that American society itself hates Black people and simply voting in new people to continue the wheels of oppression hurts us more than it helps.

The Answers

Do I have the answers to the problems we face as Black people? Most certainly not. I am just a writer writing his thoughts. The solution lies in trusting the American government to do anything other than it was designed to do: profit off Black people, marginalize Black people and kill Black people.