Sunday, May 31, 2020

How NOT to protest injustice






      So lemme get this straight:  some people are very upset about injustice and lawlessness.  So they respond by:  rioting, burning, and looting.
      The latest civil unrest was prompted by the horrifying death of George Floyd, a black man who died at the hands of rogue white cop, captured on a bystander's video, and spread around the world.  Truly, there is much in the video to upset anyone, and the actions of the police are totally inexcusable. 
      Actually, it's kind of refreshing to have something in the news NOT related to coronavirus, or Trump, or the upcoming election, or the usual daily dose of blundering incompetence of our elected "leaders".  But I fail to follow the logic that says that the appropriate response involves creating mobs of lawless hoodlums out to destroy everything they can get their hands on.  If peace, justice, and respect for the rights of all is the goal, this is NOT the way to do it!  The only message that sends is that black people are mean and destructive, and thus police best just go after them and put them all away.
      This latest outburst of civil unrest is certainly not unique.  For the past several years, we Americans have been subjected to the same thing repeatedly.  Here is the usual synopsis:  a person - and it's always a black person - is killed or seriously injured at the hands of the police, or a white person.  The black community screams out that the black person was 100% innocent, and the police or white person is 100% guilty.  Riots ensue, and angry black people destroy their own community.
      But wait - there's generally more to the story.  There are questions, like:  What transpired before?  What lead up to the initial escalation?  Normally, we find out that the black narrative is missing some key details.  Typically, we find that the victim was NOT just an innocent victim, "targeted" simply because of their skin color.  Rather, they did something.  They committed a crime, they resisted or disobeyed, they fought back at the police, or tried to escape. 
      In the case of George Floyd, we do not yet know what happened.  The questions have not yet been answered.  There was some brief mention about a counterfeit bill.  But we don't know yet whether this is true, or any of the details.  And most importantly, we don't know what happened AFTER this as-yet-unconfirmed rumor of attempted counterfeiting.  So once again, the public at-large has jumped to the conclusion that he just another innocent victim.  He might be - he might not.  We just don't know yet.
      Furthermore, let's be clear:  the cop who did this did NOT "get away with it".  He was immediately fired, and two days later he was charged with murder.  His companions were also fired, and will probably also be charged with murder.  So far, justice IS prevailing.  So again I ask:  why all the protests?  What do they want?
      Well, here is the answer: 
      Protesting is fun!!  Or at least, more fun than working, taking care of your family, going to school, studying, and other acts of responsible maturity.  The sad truth is that there are too many low-life, or no-life dregs of society who live for this sort of thing.  The phenomena is race-neutral, too.  Remember the Occupy Wall Street movement a few years ago?  It was really just one gigantic 24-7 party, right there in the Manhattan Business District, camping out and singing and carrying signs night and day.   And those of us with a real life were left asking:  what exactly is it they're protesting? 
      It's like when football star Colin Kaepernick decided to kneel in protest during the national anthem at a ball game.  What was it he was protesting?  Something about racial inequality or racial injustice or something?  Granted, racial injustice may indeed exist, but what does that have to do with the national anthem, or with football?   Besides, the guy was getting paid, like, a boatload of money to play ball - doesn't sound very unjust to me.  The message - assuming there even WAS a message - was totally lost in context.
      But as messy, convoluted, and confusing the Occupy Movement and the Kaepernick Movement were, at least they were peaceful.  Sadly, it can and does get a lot worse.  When enough no-lifes and thugs and other human trash get together, ostensibly to "protest" something, mob rule takes over and anything goes.
      The one positive aspect of this whole affair is that at least the police brutality WAS captured on video.  In this day of easily affordable electronic gadgets in everyone's pocket, it's harder and harder for police, or ANY scofflaw, to "get away" with anything in public.  Electronic recording devices are everywhere.  Even the lawless rioters get caught on video.
      So to the Black Lives Matter crowd and other who live to protest, I say:  get a life.  Go home.  Hug your parents and/or your children.  And please don't call me a racist.  I have had many wonderful black friends and coworkers over the years whom I have loved and admired.  Thankfully, the thugs and human scum are the minority. 
      The same is true of the police.  Despite the occasional rogue cop, the vast majority of them really are heroes and good guys.  Definitely work to improve the system and get rid of the bad ones.   Meanwhile, respect them, and they will respect you back. 


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