We (the world) see what is happening, and we are worried, scared and grieving with you. We also want to fight alongside you in your pursuit of justice and your human rights.

I’m not really sure where to start with this.

A few nights ago, I was watching Superman (1978), my favourite film that I’ve seen countless times. There are many lines of dialogue that have always resonated with me, but sometimes a line will stand out because of its timeless, and often timely, meaning. There is a scene in the movie in which Clark Kent protects Lois Lane from a mugger with a gun, and he nervously but forthrightly utters one line that glared red hot at me this particular time:

You can’t solve society’s problems with a gun.

Why is this such a difficult concept for the American government to comprehend?

Considering all that’s been going on in the U.S. in the past year alone, this line really prompted me to get on here and talk about something.

I’m not going to be talking about gun laws today, but for the record, as a British citizen who has only lived in countries where gun ownership is illegal (except for specially licensed reasons), I am against gun ownership.

What I do want to talk about is what happens when a gun-happy country allows racists, misogynists and bigots to not only carry firearms legally but puts those people in a position of power.

On January 7th, Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother, wife and writer, was shot and killed by an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. Republicans have declared her a ‘domestic terrorist’ who ignored instructions and they have gone along with the explanation that the ICE agent was just trying to ‘protect’ himself and others.

This. Is. BULLSHIT.

Renée was unarmed. The agent did NOT have to use his firearm. She was not ignoring their commands, she was scared. Her killing is 100% unjustifiable.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a policy that states (in Section VI-A, paragraph 2-A): Deadly force shall not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing subject. It goes on to say that deadly force can be used if there is ‘reasonable belief’ that there is threat of death from the subject, but it is so abundantly clear from the video evidence of the incident that Renée did not pose a threat. The government lies in spite of the evidence.

Unfortunately, Renée’s story is not uncommon. It has happened before and all signs point to it happening again.

‘The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.’ – George Orwell, 1984. Bear this in mind.

I’m not going to sit here and wonder what is going on in the U.S, because the eyes of the world are, as they almost always are, on America, and no matter where we look, there is a constant flow of horrendous news haemorrhaging from multiple states simultaneously. We are well aware of everything that ICE has been doing in the U.S., the lives they are destroying, the families they are tearing apart, the murders they are committing. We also see the protests, the deep grief and agony of the American people who can see that their government is trying to control and gaslight them. I am so sorry, America, that you have to live under such tyranny.

I’m also not going to sit here and condemn all Americans – I know many Americans who are wonderful people and who did not vote for Trump, did not vote for this and actively denounce violence and guns and, ultimately, facism.

This article in the Huffpost delves into the murder of Renée Good in much more detail and with more clarity than I can and gets into the legal ramifications of ICE’s actions, but I want to pick out one particular point:

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) [said]: “The bottom line is this: When a federal officer gives you instructions, you abide by them, and you get to keep your life,” […]

‘…and you get to keep your life.’ I’m sorry, when did the United States fully turn into Nazi Germany? The term ‘Nazi’ has apparently been rebranded as ‘MAGA’, and if you’re not one of them, if you don’t give up your right to freedom or bow down and lick their boots and treat that evil orange plank in the White House like his word is god-given law, you’re going to be murdered. If that isn’t fascism in a nutshell, I don’t know what is.

Why do I, as a non-American, care about this? Why should any non-American care about this? Well, have you ever heard the saying history always repeats itself? Let’s go back almost one hundred years and make some terrifying comparisons.

Hitler had been persecuting Jews, declaring them ‘enemies of the state’, and preparing for his ‘Aryan’ race before WWII. Now, we see the Trump administration persecuting people who they don’t consider ‘American’ through their use of ICE – they claim they’re cracking down on illegal immigration, but we all know that’s absolute bollocks and it’s all stemming from similar Nazi-style racism. Then, Hitler invades Poland. Now, Trump has said he wants to annex Greenland and he has already crossed some serious lines by ‘capturing’ the Venezuelan president (that’s a whole other discussion for another time). I’m sure there are many more comparisons, but those are the most glaring ones right now.

Again, why should non-Americans care? Because WE ARE ALL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, and things that happen in America, the most powerful country in the world, will eventually affect the rest of us. If you’re not worried about the American people then I guess you can at least worry about yourself and your own. If you’re ignoring what is happening there, or in Ukraine, or in Palastine, or Sudan, anywhere facing war and famine and oppression, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM. We have our own politicians we can contact, our own fight within our own countries that can prevent similar events and set an example pertaining to what we will and will not accept. Fighting for our human rights is fighting for everyone’s human rights. To that end, to the people of Ukraine, Palastine and Sudan, we see you, too. We see what they are doing to you.

At this point, things are getting pretty bleak, so please allow me to give you an example of a country whose regular citizens recently stood up against their leader’s bullshit. You may have heard that late on December 3rd 2024, Yoon Seok-yeol, then-President of South Korea, declared martial law for absolutely no good reason (he basically got pissed off at and petty with the opposing party and was willing to do anything, even provoke North Korea, as an excuse for his actions). It lasted barely 24 hours because the Korean people went out in force and protested. Politicians raced to the National Assembly and forced their way in (Yoon had soldiers surrounding the place) to vote against the implementation of martial law, and Yoon was soon impeached and arrested. Of course, South Korea is a much smaller country than the U.S. and perhaps less divided, but like every country it doesn’t come without its problems (its history of political corruption is… colourful, to put it mildly). But just look at what can happen when people, both ordinary and political, stand up to a ‘leader’. And, as far as I’m aware, no weapons were used.

So, what does happen when a gun-happy country allows racists, misogynists and bigots to not only carry firearms legally but puts those people in a position of power? I think history has told us exactly what happens, and unless more people bravely step up and protest and vote and make their voices heard, this world is going to continue down a dark path and possibly destroy itself.

I apologise if any of this doesn’t come across clearly or appears unstructured, but it can be hard to write sensibly about something that just doesn’t make any sense and that stirs up alot of sadness and anger. When a person has empathy and can see the wood for the trees, it can be hard to understand those who lack compassion and blindly follow what they’re told by those who’re supposed to be leading them. Americans, fellow human beings, if you have any suggestions on how best to help you, please leave a comment. Tell us what you need from us. We have our differences, but fundamentally, we are the same, and we’re supporting you.