This hits home powerfully with me, being a Michigander. Last year, gangs of white people invaded the state capitol building with guns while they tried to intimidate the governor about sensible covid-19 restrictions she was enforcing.

Those selfish, stupid white people were crying about their personal freedom, about being required to wear masks in stores, about how the governor was invading their liberty. They didn’t care in the least that their behavior was putting their neighbors in jeopardy of their lives from a deadly virus.

Armed men wandered the corridors of the capital and invaded its legislative chambers, holding rifles openly as they look down on their elected representatives.

The legislature suspended its session the next day, because legislators feared legitimately for their personal safety and lives. But no action whatsoever was taken against the armed protesters.

Would the Republicans support a state law banning protesters from carrying guns in the capitol building. Heaven forbid! Why, that would be a restriction of personal liberty, wouldn’t it? Pardon my heavy sarcasm.

Why does this hit home so powerfully with me?

Ask yourself what would have happened if armed Black people from Flint had converged on the state capitol to demand action in response to their children being lead poisoned because of the depraved negligence of Michigan state officials.

Everyone knows what would have happened. Those Black people would have been beaten down, probably some of them shot to death by cops, and many of them would have landed in prison for a very long time.