The match that ignited the flame was the senseless May 25 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer who has since been charged with third degree murder. What has followed are riots and lootings in practically every major city. While anger over police brutality is one explanation, I think there are others.
First, the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in months-long lockdowns across the nation, mostly confining people to their homes.
Second, these lockdowns have cost millions their jobs, making them even more frustrated.
Third, the same governments imposing these lockdowns have been terrible at providing unemployment benefits to those it put out of work. Here ion Pa., numerous people have been out of work since March, and many have yet to see a dime in relief.
Fourth, the lockdowns have led to supply disruptions, creating even more uncertainty.
Fifth, almost all government offices have closed their doors to the public.
Sixth, minority populations have both been disproportionately impacted by the virus as well as government incompetence in providing benefits.
Seventh, the viral video of George Floyd's murder, and that's what it is, has outraged people of all racial persuasions.
Eight, there's a national and state leadership vacuum. Though President Donald Trump originally expressed empathy for George Floyd and vowed that "justice will be served," he later followed with incendiary and divisive tweets that stoke the flames of unrest even more. And state governments that charged business owners for defying the lockdowns often turned their heads the other way as looters ransacked stores. Tell me what that has to do with racial injustice.
What's sad is that most of the victims of this violence - small business owners - have suffered just as much or perhaps more than those who lost their jobs.
65 comments:
"Civil unrest." Is that your euphemism for mob violence, looting and burning?
The political leadership In these states and big cities is missing. What are these elected official thinking? This will not work to their advantage in the upcoming elections. Americans are not too blind to see how this is tied together. Blaming Trump won’t work.
Have to say, maybe they are sure the coming elections will be ‘managed’ according to plan. Scary times for our nation’s families.
You might add
8) the casual indifference of the majority of white folks to a killing.
on video, no he said-she said.
The response by the DA?
Let's wait four days before even charging the cop who knelt.
remember the outrage over a football player taking a knee?
there was more outrage by white folks over that then a death of a black guy
the other cops are still free and getting DA paid.a mealy mouth statement that you have to wait to collect other evidence?
And the until an autopsy is performed we are not sure what killed the black guy.
Sure Boss.
Even the press got a taste of police moves when on video they were arrested and the police department issued a statement that the film crew did not obey orders to move even when the video shows that to be untrue.the white guy from CNN had no problems but the minority guy from CNN did.
Lastly the old playbook of attack the dead guy's character has started--he took an extra cookie in 3 rd grade--bad evil guy.
Cop has 11 complaints-- well he is an aggressive warrior against crime.
It wouldn't be called civil unrest if the unresters were white. Nice euphemism. It's why we can't have an honest conversation. Racism is sinful and unpatriotic. Riot is not protest. Bethlehem proved that.
Your reasons are a stretch. The riots aren't the result of stay-at-home orders. The looting and burning are opportunists taking advantage of the justified anger by people of all color who are able to recognize a murder by a bad cop.
Drugs targeted at pharmacies. Electronics at big box stores. A marijuana dispensary emptied. There was even an incident where U-haul trucks were rented and ready before looting.
The last things taken were food and toilet paper.
I don't get the looting and destruction, and to some extent even the protests.
It was a killing that was universally condemned as wrong, the cops involved were quickly fired, and the main offender has already been charged with murder (with charges against the other officers still likely to come). Next up will be a trial by jury.
While I understand the historical context, I hear the protesters shouting "No justice, no peace."
Maybe I'm missing something, but it looks like we're already getting justice. And honestly, in this case it's the same justice that I'd expect if the victim were white.
Isn't that what we want?
You can add to your excellent list of reasons an absolute confusion over right and wrong in many municipalities that have opted to serve as sanctuaries for individuals in violation of US immigration laws. It’s not a matter of political choice but a culture of rejection of laws in favor of community objectives. Laws become only worthless pieces of paper. Looting in such a culture is not illegal. It’s a legitimate expression of frustration wit the system.
This is Donald Trump's America! How will he deflect & blame? He doesn't have a fuckin idea how to lead! The entire administration is clueless!
There is no doubt that the lockdowns, and the frustration they have caused, has contributed to the rioting. Second, the mayors and Governors of some of these cities let it get out of hand. Once the genie is out of the bottle it's hard to put it back in. The mayor of Minneapolis should bear much of the blame, ordering his officers to abandon a precinct house basically gave the rioters the green light to destroy the city. Not only that, it totally demoralizes your police force, no wonder why they let the city burn. You have an Attorney General in Minnesota who is a radical leftist that supports ANTIFA, and his son, who sits on Minneapolis city council, tweeted out support for ANTIFA last night. He should get a visit from the FBI today since it is now designated a domestic terrorist organization. These peaceful protesters are being used as pawns by radical leftist groups to promote anarchy. I support anyone's right to protest whether I agree with them or not, but once the protest is hijacked by the professional agitators it must stopped swiftly and with overwhelming force.
Peaceful protesters should be told to be off the street at 8:00PM. Anyone left will be arrested. This has to stop. You are correct BO that the people getting hurt the most from all this are the people who can't afford to lose anymore.
No different than Northampton County.
I guess my question, which should be posed to the governor, is why he is okay with people exercising their Constitutional right to assemble to protest, but seems to ignore the rights of the people other times.
"I don't get the looting and destruction, and to some extent even the protests."
That's probably bc you are a bigot, and I do not mean to insult you. Many of us are unknowing bigots just as many of us are unknowing carriers of the virus. The fact that this killing is condemned by blacks and whites does not excuse the systemic prejudice still going on in this country.
"It wouldn't be called civil unrest if the unresters were white. Nice euphemism. "
Sure it would. When mostly white people defied the lockdown and rallied in Harrisburg, that was civil unrest. When they marched into the legislature in Michigan and did so armed, that was civil unrest. All forms of public demonstration are forms of civil unrest, whether peaceful or not.
Our government can only push people down for so long before something like this happens. But what is unfortunate is that those rioting and looting are victimizing small businesses that are also suffering from the lockdown.
5:26 -
You might want to look into the case of the shooting of Justine Damond by a Minneapolis cop in 2017.
She had called the police to report a woman being attacked in the alley behind her home. She approached the police cruiser after it arrived and was wrongfully shot in the chest by one of the officers in the car.
It took EIGHT MONTHS for the offending officer to be charged, and I believe he remained on the force during that time.
You may not remember that case. The cop in that case was a Somali-born black man and the victim was white. So it didn't get as much press coverage and there were no riots.
My point is not that the cop in the George Floyd death was in any way right (he obviously wasn't). It's that so far, what you'd want to happen to a cop in a wrongful death (killing condemned by almost everyone, cop swiftly fired, cop swiftly charged) has actually happened, and it's happened quickly.
Our system is not one of an immediate trial and sentencing. It does take time.
I was disgusted by the videos of police overreach on peaceful protestors.
The person shot on their own porch and property with pepper balls for filming police.
Numerous videos of kneeling protestors getting pepper sprayed while peacefully protesting.
The seattle police turning off all body cams and covering their badge numbers and names so they could not be identified for their action.
The cop who casually drove through the intersection spraying pepper spray out at protestors carrying signs.
The police in many cases inflamed public opinion instead of de-escalating it.
So you justify mob rule, Bernie? Is your white guilt and bigotry that blinding? The thugs in the streets torching police cars, breaking in hundreds of stores and looting, setting fires to buildings and laughing about it. Those morons are your oppressed? Are you now the publicist for Antifa?
Antifa simply means anti-facist. I suggest most of us are anti-facist. The problem with this movement is that it intolerant and all too willing to use violence. This is a disorganized group and I doubt seriously that it is responsible for all of the violence. I suspect it is responsible for some of it. I certainly have no confidence in what Trump says bc he is incapable of being truthful.
Bernie O'Hare said...
"I don't get the looting and destruction, and to some extent even the protests."
That's probably bc you are a bigot...
No, it's probably because I don't understand how violence and the property destruction of minority-owned businesses honor the memory of George Floyd or accomplish anything.
I also don't know how you'd want this case to have been handled differently so far. The cop killed a PERSON. The cop was swiftly fired and charged. It's how I would want it handled for ANYBODY.
As I said, I understand the historical context and what's gone on in the past. But at this point, I'm not even sure that there's a racial aspect to THIS CASE, other than that the victim was black and the cop was white. I'm also not sure that there's any "systemic racism" in the Minneapolis Police Department (maybe there is, and if so, let's look at it and correct it swiftly).
But right now, based on what we know so far IN THIS CASE, what more do you think should have been done (by this point in time)?
Anonymous said,
No different than Northampton County.
all of the progress in the last few years concerning race relations have been trashed in a couple of days. Low black unemployment, prison reform, and opportunity zones to revive business in the cities. gone in 1 week. Just what is needed to continue the cycle of dependency and hopelessness. Dont doubt that it will all be used for political advantage.
Anonymous said,
5:26 -
You might want to look into the case of the shooting of Justine Damond by a Minneapolis cop in 2017.
She had called the police to report a woman being attacked in the alley behind her home. She approached the police cruiser after it arrived and was wrongfully shot in the chest by one of the officers in the car.
It took EIGHT MONTHS for the offending officer to be charged, and I believe he remained on the force during that time.
You may not remember that case. The cop in that case was a Somali-born black man and the victim was white. So it didn't get as much press coverage and there were no riots.
My point is not that the cop in the George Floyd death was in any way right (he obviously wasn't). It's that so far, what you'd want to happen to a cop in a wrongful death (killing condemned by almost everyone, cop swiftly fired, cop swiftly charged) has actually happened, and it's happened quickly.
Our system is not one of an immediate trial and sentencing. It does take time.
Anonymous said,
So you justify mob rule, Bernie? Is your white guilt and bigotry that blinding? The thugs in the streets torching police cars, breaking in hundreds of stores and looting, setting fires to buildings and laughing about it. Those morons are your oppressed? Are you now the publicist for Antifa?
Anonymous said,
I guess my question, which should be posed to the governor, is why he is okay with people exercising their Constitutional right to assemble to protest, but seems to ignore the rights of the people other times.
My apologies.
I accidentally deleted a number of comments when I intended to publish. I am unaccustomed to moderation but it is necessary to prevent two trolls from hijacking this blog and making it impossible for you to comment.
Make no mistake about it but this peoples anger at Trump and this is their way of expressing their rage at the way he treats them and what he has done to this country. Trump has shown what kind of a weak leader he is and people are finally beginning to wake up and realize that he is just a fraud.
Anon 6:42 said:
"This is Donald Trump's America! How will he deflect & blame? He doesn't have a fuckin idea how to lead!"
No this is the People's Republic of Minneapolis, a liberal utopia similar to many of the places where additional riots are occurring.
It's what your democrat overlords are working to impose on all of us.
"So you justify mob rule, Bernie? Is your white guilt and bigotry that blinding? The thugs in the streets torching police cars, breaking in hundreds of stores and looting, setting fires to buildings and laughing about it. Those morons are your oppressed? Are you now the publicist for Antifa?
No, I oppose all forms of violence. I generally do not even like political rallies, let alone protests. I think they are ineffective and usually result in the opposite of what is sought. I hate mob rule.
Everyone will look upon our current state with their own bias. Blame will be placed on different groups depending on your worldview. I see this much like BO, its a combination that put folks over the edge. The fire tringle is what comes to mind for me. Heat, oxygen and fuel are the essential ingredients to sustain combustion. So we can point to such things as our political divisions, Covid/economic stress and George Floyd.
The current situation reminds me of the dog that constantly chases cars. One day, the dog finally catches one. But the dog now had no idea what to do with the car. The thrill was all in the chase. I believe trump is that dog.
We are one video away from this spilling over into the suburbs and rural America.
What about Northampton County? Please enlighten me.
I made no prediction about NorCo or LehCo. Someone anonymously made a statement that I myself do not understand.
So I read the criminal complaint and the preliminary autopsy report. What the officer did was despicable, but those calling for a 1st degree murder charge are part of the problem, because basically there is no basis for that charge. You're going to get peoples hopes up when there is no way to obtain a 1st degree murder conviction, creating more problems later on. The whole incident from start to finish is on body cams. He resisted getting handcuffed, and he resisted getting in the car. That's how they end up outside the cruiser on the ground. The knee on the neck isn't what killed him, he had severe coronary artery disease, and they also hint he was under the influence of narcotics. The restraint contributed to his death, but didn't directly cause it. He did not die from asphyxiation according to the report.
The failure to provide medical care, and the continuation of the knee on the neck even after he says he can't breathe, it is criminal. It is negligence, but it's not first degree murder. Maybe third degree murder, but it's a close call. You never mess with the throat or neck area when restraining someone to begin with.
I agree it is not 1st. I do believe the amount of time the knee was on Floyd's neck is a showing of malice and justifies murder3.
Seems like only yesterday when cops were roughing up dads for pushing kids on forbidden swings. A couple weeks later, cops are standing down while businesses are looted and burned, and some business owners are dragged from those businesses and beaten. I'm struggling to understand our betters' rules for us. They seem to change a lot.
Bernie O'Hare said...
My apologies.
I accidentally deleted a number of comments when I intended to publish. I am unaccustomed to moderation but it is necessary to prevent two trolls from hijacking this blog and making it impossible for you to comment.
June 1, 2020 at 10:37 AM
You're a liar. Some people just never learn, do they?
10.54, if they do as they say they want to move to the suburbs and rural america, it will be a bloodbath you can be sure.
When a city is attacked by criminal violence in any form, it is FIRST the responsibility of the Mayor and his Law Enforcement officials to deal with it. Sometimes, violators who do not comply are met with physical force to bring an end to their anti-social acts. Yes, in rare occasions, perpetrators are shot dead.
If your city’s Mayor is unable to handle keeping his/her citizens safe, the NEXT line of defense is you state’s Governor, using State Police and in rare cases, the National Guard under guidance of the Governor.
Still no control of the lawbreakers? The FINAL call for help goes to the President of the United States and his Federal Agencies.
That’s they way it is, folks. At this time, some Mayors and Governors have decided to stand down from their responsibilities. The Mayors and Governors are failing you. Vote appropriately.
Anonymous said...
Seems like only yesterday when cops were roughing up dads for pushing kids on forbidden swings. A couple weeks later, cops are standing down while businesses are looted and burned, and some business owners are dragged from those businesses and beaten. I'm struggling to understand our betters' rules for us. They seem to change a lot.
June 1, 2020 at 12:05 PM
I'm guessing you have a LOT of betters.
Every cloud has a silver lining. The riots and looting have effectively ended shutdowns and saved the Second Amendment. Don't tell me there's no "invisible hand."
Can we all now just agree, Election Fraud is being put into the plan in certain cities and states?
When you see your local and state government officials tolerating crimes in broad daylight, your Congress House of Representatives refusing to come back to Washington, D.C. Weak, useless Senators refusing to speak out and get personally involved. Then, ANYTHING is possible from these jerks who believe they are immune from all the damage being inflicted upon average citizens and their families.
Vote like the future of this nation is in your hands. It is!
Are there any resources for safe, social distance protesting that might be helpful? Mask wearing while hurling Molotov cocktails is tricky and official guidance should be issued. When will Dr. Levine speak out on proper eye protection to be used when smashing a minority owned business window? Protesters are operating unsafely for lack of guidelines and Wolf and Levine are doing nothing for them. We need a formula.
I want to see liberal Karens go to Philly and demand the looters and arsonists wear face masks. I saw two with a 60-inch and they made no attempt to keep others safe. They were breathing heavily while running, with zero disregard for others. It looked like they were heading for a park with swing sets, also. Enough is enough. Karen, please speak with the manager for us.
This lawlessness has to reflect poorly on one of our two major political parties. The vast majority of voters do not live in large, mismanaged cities. Millions and millions of citizens watching do not like what they are seeing. They are revolted by what they see. They will be looking for Law and Order type candidates, strict adherers to the Constitution, believers in America.
Tough choice? Nah.
Although somewhat relative domestically, not 1 of the 8 reasons cited here can explain a Global Protests/Riots.
At least 4 high profile murders of black people including a "no knock" raid at the wrong house that killed an black EMS worker in her own home, all happened under the Quarantine. It wasn't until we were about to open back up that the focus changed and Main Street burned, and is now as global as our Election Virus.
With the wearing of face coverings previously justified by phase one, Central Casting always provides the characters their scripts need not be studied they live the part, the tip of the spear is provided by those with a calculated outcome with little concern for the participates, and the rest as they say is "inevitable".
Anonymous said...
Every cloud has a silver lining. The riots and looting have effectively ended shutdowns and saved the Second Amendment. Don't tell me there's no "invisible hand."
June 1, 2020 at 1:31 PM
Of course there's one. Now take that finger out of your nostril.
Bernie, thank you for including views that oppose your own. We need this back-and-forth dialogue. Too many readers are misinformed about what’s going on in this time of extreme political strategy.
Both the Morning Call and TV69 are shaping the news to fit a corporate vision, in my view. That’s not of good service to everyone. For those who just rely on their usual 6-7pm newscast, well, they’re missing some important items.
Truthful, well-supported information IS out there for consideration, but it’s difficult to find. Maybe your site will cause some readers to make the effort. They need to be motivated.
Gee, I thought Philadelphia was still in the "Red Zone." Stay-at-home, no large gatherings, social distancing, etc., etc.
I guess it's convenient for our authoritarian governor to ignore his orders when it serves his political agenda.
About 40 million out of work. About 100,000 dead. The economy in the tank and our cities on fire. "Make America Great Again". Donald Trump is the face of the Republican party. I wonder what his supporters in the NRA, the Tea party and the Chamber Of Commerce think of him now,
Fantastic President Trump address to the nation just completed. Your favorite television network probably didn’t cover it, so please seek out the video on YouTube and comment. Looks like the President is walking now to the St. John’s Church across the street. Powerful image.
5.56
"it's convenient for our authoritarian governor to ignore his orders when it serves his political agenda."
So the Gov should have sent in the State Police to breakup the Open PA groups who protested against the same order?
rubber bullets,tear gas,shoot any gun humper dumb enough to point a gun at them?
Bernie, can we ban people who use the word "Karen" here? It's an anti-white racial slur at this point. This is getting out of hand.
Read this and let me know if you still feel that way.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/28/karen-memes-jokes-arent-sexist-or-racist-let-karen-explain/?arc404=true
Bernie, I can't read that article because they want me to take off my adblocker and I wont' do that. Regardless, it's being used the same way racists use "Shaniqua" or "Tyrone". It's disgusting and divisive, and it's a shame you're putting up with it.
Anonymous said...
Fantastic President Trump address to the nation just completed. Your favorite television network probably didn’t cover it, so please seek out the video on YouTube and comment. Looks like the President is walking now to the St. John’s Church across the street. Powerful image.
June 1, 2020 at 7:06 PM
Gee, and only yesterday he was cowering in his personal bunker.
"I wonder what his supporters in the NRA, the Tea party and the Chamber Of Commerce think of him now"
I say, "TRUMP 2020".
Signed, A Trump supporter.
You wanted sanctuary cities and states, this is just the beginning. The Democratic National Socialist are destroying our once great cities and states . People are still wearing the blinders . Guess you like high unemployment, burned out building, schools closed, looting, people getting beat up , theft and so on. Or are some of you just Party comrades for the new order ? Either way, It's all Trumps fault, never your own. Won't be much longer and we will be living like they did under Hitler in the late 30's and 40's . Then we will see who is crying then. Wake Up America !
Anonymous said...
10.54, if they do as they say they want to move to the suburbs and rural america, it will be a bloodbath you can be sure.
June 1, 2020 at 12:14 PM
I'm gonna definitely put you on the "part of the problem" side of the ledger.
Vice President Mike Pence has a wife, her name is Karen Sue Pence.
Yes, She has a "Let me see the manager haircut" and is the likely reason why the Karen name was originally used for the meme. For all I know she is a lovely woman.
7:06, it's not a powerful image, it is an image that makes him look like a pompous buffoon. He had protestors cleared out of the way with tear gas just so he could walk over to the church and hold up a Bible that wasn't his (when asked by a reporter if it was his bible, he said "it is a bible"). It was a cheap pandering photo-op for which he didn't ask permission from the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington DC, who said she was "outraged" he had the audacity to do such a thing immediately after he threatened to use military force on his own citizens.
Well, the vermin are back in Manhattan, breaking into stores, stealing whatever they can get their vermin hands on and running out gleefully. Ripping down plywood covering windows, smashing glass, looting and having a good old time. The "oppressed" minorities at their best. No cops in sight. Leftie Deblasio with his thumb up his ass. Cannot or will not stop the carnage. Most sophisticated city in the country looking like "Beyond Thunderdome." No law. No order. Just terrorists scoring some reparations.
7:06. Aha! Aha! Aha! Oh that's a good one. Little Donny comes out of his underground bunker and has the cops tear gas a totally peaceful protest for a money shot with a Bible. What would you have done if Obama had had protesters who were open carrying but "peaceful" tear gassed so he could cross the street and pose with a Bible? You'd want his head!
Twitter just took down a website claiming to be ANTIFA but was really a right wing white supremacist groups masquerading as ANTIFA. I guess the photos of WHITE PEOPLE looting were not staged afterall.
Hard to believe the way some posters are calling down the Trump walk to the church.
No, Trump doesn’t require anyone’s permission to walk all across the White House lawn, into the sidewalk, across the street, and then stand on the next sidewalk. Tourists by the millions do the same thing.
Also, the clearing of the street outside the church is no different than clearing it for a tv episode, a construction project, etc. People are told to vacate the area by law enforcement. Most will comply. Some will simply refuse to cooperate. As a last resort, law enforcement must clear the street by any manner, short of lethal force. They might hand cuff and take custody, strike people over the head with batons, spray them with uncomfortable air that causes them to seek out different air. No big deal.
Walk out in front of a Presidential Motorcade and see how quickly you will be moved out of the way.
Anonymous said:
"The knee on the neck isn't what killed him, he had severe coronary artery disease, and they also hint he was under the influence of narcotics. The restraint contributed to his death, but didn't directly cause it. He did not die from asphyxiation according to the report."
Here are the results from an independent autopsy the family had done:
"Earlier in the day, Floyd's relatives demanded further punishment for those involved in his death after an independent autopsy requested by the family concluded he was killed by asphyxiation from sustained pressure. The Hennepin County medical examiner later ruled the death a homicide."
source: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/george-floyd-protest-live-updates-funeral-to-be-held-june-9-in-houston-death-ruled-homicide-crowd-tear-gassed-near-white-house/ar-BB14RPBD?ocid=ientp
7:25, thank goodness there aren't more people like you, or we'd still have the queen on our money. Get your head out of your ass
A politically neutral friend of mine commented that Trump had been silent of the issue on Saturday night. Her extremist (even admitted ANTIFA supporters) jumped on and tried to convince her that he was cowering, he was racist himself, he was a white-supremacist (so why would he care). Finally, a day or two later, someone chimed in and gave her a transcript of Trumps speech on Saturday, where he spent the first ten minutes addressing the Floyd death, in a unifying message. She appreciated the link, because she was unaware the speech was made. Then within minutes, another of her friends focused on three words in the ten minutes of speech, where Trump called out ANTIFA. Ten minutes of unification and people focus on three words they will use against him. That is what the media has done for three years. And that is a BIG reason we are where we are today.
I do not believe either the Morning Call or TV69 made any reference to Trump’s remarks following the rocket launch (Saturday) 9n their Sunday news reporting. That’s too bad, maybe even nefarious, since Trump made critical references to the Floyd matter that would have changed the minds of many citizens who were later bombarded by the media how rotten and uncaring their President was.
The Trump Saturday remarks we’re broadcast live, with the exact written text made available immediately on the internet. Neither the Morning Call, nor TV69, served it’s audience in the most responsible manner by hiding the President’s response at such a critical time.
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