by Breana Perez and Edgerrin Panaligan // Staff Writer and Op-Ed Editor
In early May, multi-talented actor and artist Donald Glover, or Childish Gambino, released a loaded and highly topical music video for his song, “This is America”. The music video serves as a reflection of the current social and political landscape of the United States, how citizens cry in uproar over mass shootings yet get distracted and move on almost immediately.
The leftover residue from the Las Vegas shooting in October ignited again when the Parkland shooting left 17 dead in February. As citizens, it feels as if these shootings are becoming a common occurrence, almost desensitizing the nation to the issues that come out of these tragedies. The problems of mental health and gun control and how to solve these issues have become conversations that everyone is tired of having. Why isn’t anything being done? Why isn’t our government listening? Glover aspired to keep the conversation alive with violent and distractive images to highlight the brutal realities of these shootings and show what will continue to happen if nothing changes.
When Glover’s character shoots the man in the head to start the video, the gun is given to a child and is placed in a red cloth. The assault rifle he uses to massacre a choir of happy singers is also placed in the red cloth again later in the video, which was an indirect reference to the Charleston Church shooting that happened in June of 2015, when Dylan Roof, a white supremacist, appeared at the church and gunned down nine people, injuring more. The red cloth and the gun can be interpreted as how guns are viewed in society; they’re handled with great care and are protected every time there is a mass shooting. The action of placing it gently in that red cloth can be symbolic of the blood shed by those who have lost their lives to gun violence. Intricate dancing routines are shown throughout the video, which serve as a distraction to take the focus away from those in the background who are rioting and causing chaos. After mass shootings, many Americans start to talk less about a recent shooting that has taken place and begin to focus on other things, whether it be a viral video or something new in pop culture, while others who are trying to make changes in society lose their steam and platforms.
“This is America” is a well-directed video by long-time associate of Glover, Hiro Murai. It does not hold back on the graphic nature of gun violence and shows how tragic these problems can be if they persist. The only way you can get the attention of the people is to not be afraid to hold back on what’s politically correct and appropriate, to take risks; Glover and Murai had their visions realized, and the conversations that inch closer to a solution continue on because of their efforts.