In the time my 2 1/2-year-old has been on this Earth, so incredibly much has happened. He's already lived through natural disasters triggered by global warming, an impeachment, a pandemic, and now, insurgence. My husband and I often wonder how we will begin to even explain the first few years of his life to him one day while counting our blessings we aren't under the pressure to do it right away.
Some of you don't have that luxury. And while it's important to be honest with kids, and to explain it from a multifaceted place that acknowledges the plague on our country that is white supremacy, I hope you can be comforted in knowing you get to talk to your children about Eugene Goodman.
As Mister Rogers would put it, he's one of the helpers to look for.
For those who don't know, Eugene Goodman is a Capitol Police officer who witnessed the mob break into the Capitol building on January 6.
Captured by a reporter, there is chilling video evidence showing Goodman single-handedly being forced to confront the mob of rioters who laid siege to the Capitol. Knowing that the Senate had not evacuated, he thought quickly and led the angry mob away from where the members of Congress were. He strategically provoked them, taking on dozens without backup or the security of his own safety.
Considering overall five people died as a result of the violent siege, it's fair to infer that this man's quick thinking and bravery saved lives. And honestly, that's only part of the most impressive thing to me.
In a year where we were forced to face police brutality and affirming that Black lives do in fact matter, we're brought to this pinnacle, teachable moment.
We've spent the last year, some of use for the very "first" time, confronting the problems of white supremacy, and watching this video was like witnessing a metaphor in action. Officer Goodman stood his ground — unprotected — as a mob of angry white people, wearing varying degrees of racist symbolism, tried to enter the Senate, and he did it simply because it was the right thing to do. And that's exactly the lesson we want our kids to take away from this.
For one, we can show them what true selflessness is.
The honest truth is that a Black man, Officer Goodman, doesn't truly owe many people in that building a thing. There are so many people, yes even elected officials, who work to actively uphold racist institutions. Despite that truth, he did the right thing and helped potentially spare the lives of people who may not even actively care for his.
We can tell them with confidence that there were heroes there, and that there are those still dedicated to doing the right thing in a country that has frankly shown them overwise this past year. And hopefully they learn that they, too, can do the right thing, even when they feel alone, scared, or overwhelmed. That even when there is chaos, there are those who are there to set it right.
So to officer Goodman: Thank you!
Though you were "just" doing your job, you did it in the face of a lot of obstacles, and ones I and other parents can help to highlight to our children so we can help build what we aspire our country to be: A place full of people doing the right thing for others, even when it's "impossible."
