Yes, I live in Madison. No, I did not attend the protest. Here’s why:

For starters, I 100% support the people that were peacefully protesting. As a white person, I am aware that this country is devastated by racism. I think it’s ridiculous that we are STILL fighting for racial equality. I realize my privilege as a white person, and I support this movement.

However, I did not attend the protest/rally in Madison. My first reason is because of the pandemic we are facing; I am immunocompromised and take care of small children. Second, I knew it would get out of hand.

I do not support the violence. Breaking buildings, businesses, cars, etc isn’t going to solve anything. Being violent only makes us seem unstable and ludicrous. Setting police cars on fire and stealing their weapons is ONLY going to increase the violence black people are facing. Violence is never the answer, and that became more clear to me as I watched a cop car explode from my balcony. Watching the destruction of the city of Madison was heartbreaking. It instills fear and disappointment, instead of strength and hope.

I do believe that not every cop is bad and blaming police in general is not fair. Making generalizations about people is a reason racism is so prevalent in our society. If there is going to be change, we need to be serious. Nobody wants to negotiate with an angry and destructive mob. Not every cop is dirty, not every white person is racist, and not every black person is harmful.

Third, you can have just as big if not bigger effect from home. There are ways you can make a difference without promoting violence. These can be found on this website. Peacefully protesting and doing your part at home is the best way to try to show the world that there NEEDS to be change.

Thanks for reading!