We Are Our Own Worst Enemy

We Are Our Own Worst Enemy, 2019

The most fearful of monsters is a well-known friend, slightly altered.
Kōbō Abe, The Face of Another

It’s understandable when we fear foreign terrorist groups who condemn our country's values. But what happens when that condemnation comes from other Americans? Extremism in any form and from any place is dangerous. It's too easy to demonize others, and it's too easy to dehumanize Brown and Black people. We are ignoring one of the most serious concerns to our national tranquility, homegrown extremists.

It doesn’t help when President Trump calls immigration from Central America an "invasion," tells four nonwhite Congresswomen to "go back" to where they "originally came from," and criticizes Jews who vote for Democrats as "disloyal." These have emboldened white supremacists while Trump supporters and the Republican Party have downplayed his comments as comical, off-the-cuff remarks. We should take these comments seriously.

Critical thinking is being subsumed by reactive thinking. Be informed. Check out multiple news outlets. Explore these sources for their biases. Get to know where each candidate stands and vote! The downfall of the American way of life won't come from the Islamic State. It will come from within. Ignorance and fear are rotting America's core values. It's time to stop being our own worst enemy.

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The posters in this series reflect the conflicts the American political system has been experiencing during the turbulent period between 2010-2020. They are meant to encourage an exploration and a dialogue about the cultural minefield we now find ourselves in.