There are moments in a nation’s life when the future does not arrive as a surprise. It announces itself slowly, unmistakably, through patterns we learn to recognize even as we hope we are wrong. When such a moment finally arrives, it feels less like shock than like confirmation: This is where we were headed.
We are living in one of those moments now.
Another life has been taken by the power of the state. The details of what happened in Minneapolis will be argued. “Process” will be invoked. Investigations will promise clarity at some later date. We have learned this choreography well. What matters more than any single finding, however, is the broader realization that the ground beneath us has shifted — and that we are no longer sure who we are.
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With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR), where this article originally appeared.
