Peaceful Protests?

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never advocated violent protest during the racially explosive sixties.  In fact, he once said:

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him. Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon which cuts without wounding and ennobled the mind who wields it.  It is a sword that heals.”

Now there is no doubting that George Floyd died as the result of a rogue policeman’s action. Everyone has seen the recording of his treatment after being taken into custody for a non-violent suspected crime. Unconscionable. The fact that the police actions deserve protest is undisputed.  It was heinous. It was murder.

Throughout the nation, because of the Minneapolis insanity, “Peaceful Protests” sprung up organically all at once, in initially 30 major cities. They were peaceful for about 5 minutes. Suspected and believed to be at the heart of this coordinated upheaval is the anarchist group known as Antifia. A group that actively promotes protest tourism. (traveling great distances to incite discord) Coincidentally all of the initially affected municipalities are run by progressive, liberal Democrats, the Kumbaya crowd, the politically correct, enlightened ones. In almost every city the “protesters” ran wild, vandalizing, burning, and looting at will. 

However, given the grievous nature of police behavior, that does not give anyone, black or white license to destroy and loot.  The small businesses and property destroyed is often owned by a minority owner as in the case of a black Minneapolis fireman, Korboi "KB" Balla. He poured his life savings into a sports bar on Lake Street in his hometown.  It was due for a grand opening delayed by the Wuhan Flu today.  Rioters burned it down and stealing everything that wasn’t nailed down.  To make matters worse, he had no insurance.  

Where is the justice for Korboi "KB" Balla? If you watch some of these alleged “protestors”, you can bet that they didn’t give a damn about him or his dreams.  Were they arrested? Nope. The weak-kneed Mayor, Jacob Frey, a leftist, liberal Democrat didn’t have the marbles to order the police to end the destruction. Instead, he ordered them to flee their police station, so then the “protesters” burned that down too. Someone please explain anarchy to Jacob.

Further compounding this insanity was the usual commentary from the CNN/MSNBC crowd who refused to call it a riot. One stand up report featured a well-known newsreader, in front of a burning building, stating that things were “calming” down.  A classic example of the absolutely awful reportage that is disguised as news. Oh, and naturally, it’s all President Trump’s fault. The media was incensed when he referred to protesters as thugs. How come nobody blamed President Obama for the Baltimore riots that resulted after that police department killed a black suspect.  Even he called the rioters and looters “thugs”. The media…always even handed. 

Civilized society cannot permit this kind of behavior to go unpunished and unanswered. This was a well-organized effort by leftist anarchists (Antifa) who don’t give a damn about George Floyd or George Washington for that matter. Planted in each scene of chaos were operatives running around with bullhorns who spurred the crowds on and whipped them into a frenzy. All you had to do is watch the coverage to pick them out.  Where were the police?  Why didn’t they wade into the mob and arrest these ringleaders?  Were they ham strung by the local leaders, afraid to or ordered not to enforce the law?  Inciting civil unrest or a riot is a major crime and punishable by law.

Of course, we get treated to the self-righteous well-off athletes and celebrities weighing in, while hanging in their walled compounds, guarded by armed security, telling us they hurt for the community.  They haven’t a clue of the pain suffered by a black fireman or an Asian shopkeeper who just lost their life savings and livelihood. It’s so disingenuous. When they plead for order, their influence is obvious.  It’s largely ignored. To make their effect sound even more foolish, some are raising bail money for the looters. Nice.

The Antifa thugs don’t give a hoot about this society.  They don’t know the meaning of Kumbaya, much less the words.  What they do know, is that as long as they can run wild, appropriate a legitimate protest without any recourse, the nonviolent approach to change advocated by Dr. Martin Luther King, will never factor in their plans for societal change.

Let us not forget that nonviolence is the sword that heals.