Chicago Events Scaring Me

I 27F do not live in Chicago. I live in Florida. I used to go to Chicago every other weekend when I lived in Indiana due to a custody agreement (it was only a 3 hour drive) and I have family that live there. Now I’m not here to tell people what political party to support or anything. I’m just here as a person.

I worry about what the events in Chicago will mean for both my family that live there and myself, my daughter, and my immediate family. I want to clarify that WE WERE ALL BORN HERE. My grandparents were born here, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. So please don’t start ranting about me being illegal or whatever. I worry about the physical safety of my extended family and for everyone living in Chicago. People of different races and status were all involved in the raid. Children and adults were bound in zip ties and separated from their families, even those of different races that are clearly not illegal immigrants. A group of people near my aunt’s apartment building were protesting and got tear gassed… She was inside, but what if she hadn’t been? I worry that there has to be a lot of hate in the world, or at least in the U.S. for something like this to even happen in the first place.

I’ve dealt with racism all my life, and my 5 month old daughter is already dealing with it though she doesn’t know (a couple members of my husband, who is white, do not accept her because she takes after me more than they thought she would). Racism, I can deal with in a way. I can teach her how to navigate the world. But all out HATE, not even just prejudice- I feel so choked up and lost. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I never would have thought this was even possible. I worry that this will spread, and though I do believe this is bonding people of different communities together- I worry it won’t be enough to protect my daughter. I don’t even know how to express the worry I feel for her future. Will things get better? I don’t know. I hope so. I’m scared. How do I be the best mom in the world when I’m terrified? I don’t want her to ever be afraid, though I know I can’t completely stop that.

I know that this didn’t happen where I live… but I never thought it could ever happen here in the U.S. Maybe I was naive.