Tuesday, June 2, 2020

America Dealing With Insurrection, Not Media-Described Unrest

Barely hanging on in a teetering economy brought on by the pandemic, small business owners watch helplessly as their businesses are burned to the ground by what the media calls 'peaceful' protests.

George Floyd protests: Rioters target police across US; 4 shot in St. Louis, 1 in Vegas, Bronx hit-and-run caught on video.

Then there's a mainstream media description that defies belief: "Protests across the U.S. were sparked after the death of Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. There were reports on Monday night that police became the target of some anarchists."

State authorities report that the protesters rioting and looting are coming in to their states from other states; thousands of protesters are on the march in Britain, in Canada, and in other far-flung countries.

"I've heard some suggest that the recurrent problem of racial bias in our criminal justice system proves that only protests and direct action can bring about change, and that voting and participation in electoral politics is a waste of time. I couldn't disagree more. The point of protest is to raise public awareness, to put a spotlight on injustice, and to make the powers that be uncomfortable" in fact, throughout American history, it's often only been in response to protests and civil disobedience that the political system has even paid attention to marginalized communities.

"First, the waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States.

"Finally, the more specific we can make demands for criminal justice and police reform, the harder it will be for elected officials to just offer lip service to the cause and then fall back into business as usual once protests have gone away.

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