And while most protesters are non-violent, we have to know that there are violent provocateurs who will use the protests to carry out their desire for mayhem. And they are of all ethnicity, white,black and other. You can't just say protesters are violent and unlawful.
No one is saying all protests are violent and unlawful. Yet, you can't say that all police need to be reined in either. Yet, you did. You generalized just as you accuse others of doing. Yekcidmij is right.
No individual is responsible for the behavior of a group or the behavior of other people. Individuals are responsible for their own behavior.
The point of the article is even among blacks there is debate if what is happening does anything to move the needle.
Protesters have captured the attention of the world over the past week. But there's a difference between getting attention and getting change. How can people translate the energy unleashed by the protests into transformative action?
This question and others have sparked a vigorous debate among people like Wasow and other thought leaders in the black community.
Sadly, the violent provocateurs - some even enabled by government - aren't helping, but could hinder any attention or transformative action. It sends a mixed message, and violence in the past (civil rights) was done by the police against the change. They lost (police, etc) when those images became reality for society. People were outraged when they saw the mayhem. They lost when the murders, terrorizing, etc was finally put in the front of them by the police and government. Remember you didn't have 24/7 news back then, and for the most part it wasn't spoken about. That was their historical culture, and now we are dealing with today's.
The media is paying more attention to the sensationalized parts of what is happening. The property destruction, the fires, and the taking over governmental buildings...and the governments hesitating to take control. I know in my home that I moved from about 2 years ago - you worked hard and pulled teeth to get decent drug and grocery stores into certain areas. They were needed BADLY, because it was a desert there for those types of products. It was mainly 'mom and pop' type of stores. Now, not only are the drug and grocery stores gone - but their backbone of 'mom and pop' shops are gone too. After the shutdown and now this? The chances aren't very high many of them will return, and it will harm those minority neighborhoods. BADLY! The images of people tearing things apart, and people running out of shops loaded up with free product?
Those images aren't going to help things change. It could actually work against it, because its blurred by the violence. The politicians, etc bowing down for show doesn't look good for them either. The fact that crazy people were allowed to take over 6 blocks of Seattle, and that includes their city hall and police station? It's not just whites that are scared about this. I realize this isn't concentrated on, because its NOT a popular theme...but there are plenty of black americans just a crushed and scared as anyone else by the irrational violence that people are attempting to justify. It's not working, and no matter how hard they want to yell and scream about it? The shame game, name calling, and labeling isn't going to change that reality.
People are horrified over the murder of Mr. Floyd. They are completely satisfied that his murderer will spend his life in jail, and want to rip out all the rest of the rotten apples. Yet, they are have a hard time hearing the rest of it with the ugly messages the domestic terrorists are sending. Violence by the police towards the black population back in the civil rights days is what moved the needle towards change. It was outrageous and cruel. Yet, today it's looked at as violent actors against society...and a government with no backbone to control it. Mr. Floyd is being lost in the middle of this mess, and just repeating protestors aren't doing this (and people aren't that stupid not to know it anyway)...doesn't help move the needle either. Why do you think gun sales have gone through the roof? They are arming up to protect themselves against the mayhem, and will NOT end well for anyone.
