Dania Maaliki
My name is Dania Maaliki. I am a Palestinian, Lebanese, Muslim American. I am attending college at the University of Colorado Denver pursuing a Biology Pre Med degree with a minor in Chemistry and Psychology. Poetry has been more of a hobby and a form of therapy in a way. It brings me peace because I can express how I feel in that moment. As of recently, I have used it as a form of expression and a platform to speak about the harsh reality we face in today’s society. This piece was triggered by the story of Ahmaud Arbery. I felt extremely frustrated, sad, and disappointed once again. I felt every feeling and there was a fire in me I had to release in words.
Round & Round
I’m frustrated.
Not surprised.
Just frustrated.
Another untold story.
I get a lump in my throat talking about it, but it’s mandatory.
Another innocent, intelligent man gone with so much potential and life to live.
Went for a run at dawn to not return home to his mom.
Another white man that won’t be held accountable.
Arrested is true. But sentenced? We have no clue.
Cold blooded killers.
Hunters looking for a thriller.
Why all these fillers? These men were racists.
Will someone explain to me?
This sad sad reality.
Is it fair for me to say ALL whites are killers of innocent young educated individuals?
That’d just be hypocritical.
But explain to me.
This sad sad reality.
Why is it fair to stereotype those browner than them as murderers, gangsters, robbers and terrorists?
Please someone explain to me!
This sad sad reality.
Is shooting an innocent man on his daily jog not murder? Is killing 58 and injuring 700 innocent people at a concert not terrorism?
I’ll explain to you.
More than half of mass shootings carried out in America were perpetrated by white men. 55% to be exact.
1 in 1000 black men and boys in America are expected to die at the hands of police.
Just in 2019 almost 25% of people shot and killed by police were black.
Since the year 2001, there has been a dramatic increase in anti-Muslim
assaults. As of 2017, 7,175 hate crime incidents against Arab Americans and American Muslims were reported.
This is America.
I have to be afraid to tell people I am a Muslim woman?
And my black friends have to be afraid of getting pulled over?
I and others like myself receive random security checks at the airport.
Black men and women get looked at wrong for their beautiful melanin infused skin.
White men and women… oh wait, nothing.
Don’t get me wrong, I have respectful white friends that see the problems in our system.
But they may stem from a family or group of friends that doesn’t support them.
I’d be wrong to say they’re all the same and we’re all the same. White,
Black, Middle Eastern, Asian, Latina, you name it. There’s a few bad
apples in the bunch, there’s no denying that. But to be mistreated for those few bad apples, we won’t accept that.
It makes me laugh because what people don’t realize is that we all have
our similarities. A beating heart. The opportunity to be smart. We all begin
life with a fresh start. I think we’re all works of art, even when we fall apart. We also bleed the same. But, never should we be neglected on the ground to bleed out. Let me just say his name. Ahmaud Arbery. Hunted down and shot to bleed the same blood we all bleed because his murderers said he was the one to blame.
He was left helpless.
Unarmed.
Breathless.
Did I say unarmed?
When will this sound an alarm?
I’m sick of seeing all this harm from firearms.
And I don’t mean no disrespect, but my feelings are what you should expect.
No mother should live to see the day their son is deceased.
She won’t ever be at peace.
And neither will I because this system is just wash, rinse and repeat.