Ever since the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, MO, there have been many protests which have turned into, or have been coopted, into riots. Violence begot damaged or destroyed property, injuries, deaths, but very few arrests. Few arrests due to police standing by watching in many cases. Standing by in some cases because they were ordered to do so.
Regardless of what events led to the protests, riots are and should be illegal. Protests are protected free speech, but riots are an assault on civility and civilians.
Not only did authorities not stop the riots, but the media refused to call them what they were. Instead they referred to rioters as activists.
A few groups have been born during this period. The Black Lives Matter movement is a response to police shootings of unarmed black men, but has also led to the killing of police officers by BLM supporters. The Antifa (short for anti fascist) group is much more violent, often piggy-backing on other groups protests to turn them violent. The Antifa folks are actually anarchists.
Antifa has been successful is stopping others, mainly conservatives, from speaking on college campuses, most famously Cal Berkeley. They threaten the college with protests, which evolve into burning, looting, rock throwing, and general rioting.
The BLM movement concerns itself with all things deemed racist, which now includes anything on display related to the Confederacy, including the flag and statues and monuments. Many of these people think it appropriate to remove all these things since they are "offensive to blacks", who generations ago suffered under the slavery of the confederates. Apparently, any reminder of slavery is to be removed.
One wonders what they will want to remove after all flags and monuments are torn down. Books? Historic places such as Gettysburg?, Antietam? How about the historic homes of founding fathers like Monticello or Mt. Vernon?
The time has arrived when we should say enough is enough. The police need to become actively involved in preventing protests from turning into riots, and arresting any and all rioters. The media needs to accurately report on what activity is taking place and by whom, using the accurate descriptors for those events and people. And citizens need to educate themselves about history, current events, and understand who is doing what to whom.
Regardless of what events led to the protests, riots are and should be illegal. Protests are protected free speech, but riots are an assault on civility and civilians.
Not only did authorities not stop the riots, but the media refused to call them what they were. Instead they referred to rioters as activists.
A few groups have been born during this period. The Black Lives Matter movement is a response to police shootings of unarmed black men, but has also led to the killing of police officers by BLM supporters. The Antifa (short for anti fascist) group is much more violent, often piggy-backing on other groups protests to turn them violent. The Antifa folks are actually anarchists.
Antifa has been successful is stopping others, mainly conservatives, from speaking on college campuses, most famously Cal Berkeley. They threaten the college with protests, which evolve into burning, looting, rock throwing, and general rioting.
The BLM movement concerns itself with all things deemed racist, which now includes anything on display related to the Confederacy, including the flag and statues and monuments. Many of these people think it appropriate to remove all these things since they are "offensive to blacks", who generations ago suffered under the slavery of the confederates. Apparently, any reminder of slavery is to be removed.
One wonders what they will want to remove after all flags and monuments are torn down. Books? Historic places such as Gettysburg?, Antietam? How about the historic homes of founding fathers like Monticello or Mt. Vernon?
The time has arrived when we should say enough is enough. The police need to become actively involved in preventing protests from turning into riots, and arresting any and all rioters. The media needs to accurately report on what activity is taking place and by whom, using the accurate descriptors for those events and people. And citizens need to educate themselves about history, current events, and understand who is doing what to whom.
