Postcard for Larry Hogan
by Bilal

Dear Governor Larry Hogan,

I applaud you for attempting to handle the COVID-19 situation to the best of your ability and trying to keep the number of cases and deaths as low as possible in Maryland.

However, your lack of response and silence in regard to the Black Lives Matter movement and your obliviousness to the problems that are plaguing your people are both grossly offensive.

Your actions speak louder than words, Mr. Hogan. You say that you are “proud” of the peaceful protests in Baltimore City and that you support the voicing of our frustrations, but you have taken next to no action to amend those very frustrations.

When the State of Maryland legislators reached out to you to ban chokeholds throughout the state, you went mute.

While we’ve taken to the streets in an attempt to do your job, you’ve been holding back reform and change by making ridiculously conservative decisions. For example, you proposed budget cuts that would include millions of dollars in losses for education, violence protection, and unemployment protection. Shoutout Franchot for immediately rejecting over $200M in your careless cuts, but the fact that you even proposed it is grotesque. Not to mention, you didn’t even touch the police budget, which sees nearly $300M every year.

When you state that defunding the police would be a “terrible idea,” do you stop and consider who it would be terrible for? Movements around the world are calling for justice, peace, and solidarity for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, and the countless other Black men, women, boys, and girls who have been brutalized by your precious police force. For whom is defunding the police terrible? Are you trying to protect white privilege?

Do me a favor, and step out of the “American” and “politician” mentalities, and just try to think like a human. I’m sure you want justice and peace as we all do. Instead of being selfish and quiet like your political community expects you to do, try looking out for your neighbor, and use your platform, which is a gift, to do some real good.

Sincerely,

Bilal