I’m confused.
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| New York Post Photo |
In the 60’s, I marched with many for civil rights. Yes, I’m white, but I felt it my duty as a human being to march. We didn’t riot, destroy property, or give the small minded asses that spat on us and called out slanderous remarks a reason to get violent. We wanted to create a peaceful assembly and demonstrate that hatred between the races was a thing of the past. And, yes, there were times we ran away at the end to avoid major confrontation and jail. It was called, “Surviving to protest again!”
That was half a century ago.
Now, I get to witness news showing rioting. A riot that is validated because a white police officer shot down an unarmed black individual. A riot in the black neighborhood, destroying black property owners inventories, injuring innocent black bystanders, and stealing various items of value from black shop owners.
I don’t get it.
Why would you destroy, injure and loot from your own race when you’re protesting a shooting? I don’t like the answers I come up with.
1) Too lazy to catch a ride downtown to protest and riot at City Hall.
2) Too far to outrun the authorities when they start to chase you down.
3) Too many chances of being caught on camera and being charged later.
4) Too hard to carry stolen merchandise home.
5) Too hard to blame it on the police shooting and not just a chance to steal.
To protest the act of another, hurt your own, and then proclaim justice is needed is so damn hypocritical it’s beyond comprehension. Once again, stupidity rears its ugly head in today's society.
Don’t get me wrong. No, in no way, shape or form am I saying that the officer is innocent of anything. If the sucker did as reported then he needs to pay the penalty for doing so. Us old time protesters never stated justice wasn’t a need. In fact, we wanted justice back then, the same as many do today. We just didn’t let a few outlaws, that didn’t give a hoot about the cause, ruin everything we worked to achieve.
Still, we’re supposed to learn from our mistakes. In the late 60’s, the rioting in Watts and areas of the East Coast showed that rioting only hurt those in the riot zones … no one else.
So, why have a riot in your own neighborhood? Are you really that stupid? Has the “No Child Gets Ahead” school agenda really worked that well?
Out of the five reasons I listed above, I’m going to stick my neck out and proclaim number four to be the reason. Rioters and looters need a quick route home. Most could care less about the cause and more about the profit. While the preachers for profit go on about justice and civil liberties, the looters are grabbing the items they normally don’t have money to afford. The closer the store to the home, the more merchandise they can get, and return to get even more. It’s simple logistics!
Please, if you care enough about a cause to protest, take it to the man. Don’t expect the man to feel sorry for you when you’re destroying your own neighborhood. He’s sitting downtown at City Hall in his big office and overstuffed chair laughing his ass off at you … just like the looters are laughing their asses off at you.
Take it to the man. Wipe the smile off his face and demand change. Demand that the police serve the public instead of ruling them military style. When he doesn’t listen do what it takes to get national attention. Sway public opinion your direction.
Believe me, the rioting only makes you look like a bunch of uneducated thieves using racism as an excuse for violence.
Oh, one last thing. Is it really a race problem? Ask yourself, “If the police officer had been black, would this last week have happened.”
If you answer, “No”, then maybe you’re part of the problem.
Racism … it goes both ways.
Maybe we all need to take
a second look in the mirror.
