Unnecessary Force Amidst a "Free" Nation

 I don't think tensions within the United States have been this high since the riots in the 1960s... and that speaks volumes. The injustice this country still endures even after several years have passed with the weight of those same injustices is upsetting. 

So now, even still, we all sit and watch, day after day, as riots become more of a progressive method in causing change rather than the democratic process this country was shaped on. Riots, although powerful, should not be the key to change; however, that was not the case in 2020 nor is it in 2021. With tensions growing higher each passing day, the police force surrounding these target areas have increased as a result. Thus, not only are citizens being harshly harassed and arrested, but reporters are also suffering the unlawful raft of police forces. 

In, "Watchdogs Say Assaults on Journalists Covering Protests Is on a 'Scale That We Have Not Seen Before'" on Time.com, the level of extreme assault on journalists is expressed. Over the past few months, reports of unnecessary force towards journalists has increased sharply more than ever; the unusual quirk is that police forces tend to avoid anyone identified as the press...and this time, they're not. More importantly, they're going after the press. In the short video clip mentioned in this article, the crew for CNN can be seen getting arrested even after they identified themselves as the press. Not only is this in violation of freedom of press, but this also sends a broader message to the public. Jared Goyette makes an amazing point when he states that, "Actions like this make protesters, people trying to advocate for change, more vulnerable because journalists provide a witness and police are aware of that. Without journalists there, police or other people in power can feel a sense of impunity that no one will see what’s happening anyway. Everyone needs to know people are watching."