We need to redefine what it means to be American

White supremacists incited by President Donald Trump’s claims of a fraudulent election stormed the U.S. Capitol building on the afternoon of Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to prevent the Electoral College certification of President-elect Joe Biden, resulting in many politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties issuing statements which decried the violence as “un-American.” While the sentiment behind these statements may be sincere, the thing is that they are wrong: these actions weren’t un-American. These actions were deeply American, and that’s the problem.

From a young age we are taught that as Americans we have certain inalienable rights and that it is our duty as to push back against those who seek to take them away from us. We are taught that we should never allow our voices to be silenced, no matter what, and that we must fight tyranny wherever and whenever we see it. However, what we aren’t taught are the specifics of the rights we are granted or what oppression really looks like, and because of this, Americans – especially white Americans – have cultivated a sense of entitlement. The history of the Founding Fathers has become mythologized into tales of righteousness triumphing over evil, but the truth is that the United States was born of a revolution that began when white people decided that the amount of privilege they had wasn’t enough.

Because of this, white Americans believe that their well-being takes precedence over that of others, that their voices should be heard most loudly even if what they have to say isn’t important or even true. Over the past four years, the president has exploited these beliefs by promising white people who falsely believe they are disenfranchised an opportunity to strike back against the people in power who have allegedly wronged them. What could be more American than that?

It’s all too easy to dismiss these rioters and terrorists as idiotic, evil and distinctly other; it allows us to distance ourselves from them and say, “I’m glad my friends and family aren’t like that,” but by doing this you are deluding yourself. It’s almost certain that you have friends and family like this. It’s even possible that you yourself are like this. Dehumanizing those who uphold white supremacy only further strengthens their belief that they are being oppressed and completely ignores the fact that white supremacy is deeply ingrained in all of us, not just those who carry Confederate and Nazi flags.

For every person who invaded the Capitol, there are hundreds more at home, maybe even thousands, who believe that those who did were completely justified in their actions. Approximately half of the voting public voted for the man who fanned the flames of hatred and incited this violence, and in doing so they declared that white supremacy isn’t a dealbreaker for them, even if they don’t wholly support the devastation that comes with it. However, this isn’t solely a Republican issue; every Democrat – whether they’re a member of Congress or your best friend – who drags their feet and refuses to challenge both their internalized white supremacist beliefs and those on which this country was founded are also complicit.

So, what can be done? We need to stop blindly teaching our children to be proud that they’re American without clearly explaining to them the true, racist history of America. We need to hold those accountable who incite violence in the name of white supremacy under the guise of patriotism. Ultimately, we need to redefine what it means to be American.