Protests, Riots and Reality

Protests, Riots and Reality

As we are all painfully aware, George Floyd, a black American, was killed by the police on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, over a nine-minute period, while he begged for his life because he could not breathe.  One cop was kneeling on his neck, while other cops restrained his big, 6’ 7”, body.  Nothing else detracts from these facts, the murder of a black American by the police, who happened, in this case, not to be Caucasian, but of four diverse ethnicities.

Mr. Floyd’s murder very quickly became symbolic, not only for what was wrong concerning race relations with the Minneapolis police department, but with all police, and then very quickly to what was wrong, not only “racially”, but also from a “social justice” standpoint, with the whole country.  Young Americans, who had been cooped up for three months because of various Covid-related government restrictions, (can you say “blame Trump”), took to the streets with “Black Lives Matter” and a plethora of provocative social signs.

Whenever activist groups and the media whip up the impressionable young people of the country into a protesting and rioting frenzy, calmer, common sense thinkers have to ask “what is this really all about?”

First, George Floyd was murdered by the Minneapolis cops, who are being brought to justice in the Minnesota courts.  These cops should not be convicted in the media by snippets of anecdotal video and street conversations. They should be tried, convicted and punished to the full extent of the law in the courts of the law.

Second, George Floyd was no choir boy, as he is being made out by the black community and a biased media.  He was convicted of several violent crimes in Texas and served time.  (The records are available on line).  He apparently was a drug user and a “tweaker”, and had THC, fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system when he died.  (Also available from his autopsy on line).  Medically, Floyd had narrowed heart arteries, an enlarged heart, and was positive for Covid-19.

Note that none of the above detracts from the fact that George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis police. 

It was pretty obvious, right from the beginning, that nearly all of the protesters across the nation’s cities, were “twenty-somethings”, that had drunk the leftist mainstream media koolaid, and blamed President Donald Trump for everything wrong in the country – the corona virus, the unemployment, the economic downturn, the food lines, and George Floyd’s death.  All of these were Trump’s fault.  There were no MAGA hats or “Trump” signs evident in these protesting groups.

The protests were ostensibly peaceful, but were soon infiltrated by revolutionary and criminal elements, and subverted to violence, looting, general mayhem, and became mob-driven riots.  Soon, there were fires in our streets, upscale stores in our cities had been broken into and looted, our national monuments defaced or destroyed and even iconic churches burned.  Eleven people, mostly minorities, were murdered by the rioters in the first week or so.  And all of this was being justified by the murder of one black American in Minneapolis, as a symbol for all that is wrong in America. – And, of course Trump was to blame for it all.  How dare he pose in front of St John’s church in D.C., with a bible in his hand?

The mainstream media justified even the violent rioting as “peaceful protests”.  Some of the liberal, left-wing governors and mayors called in the National Guard, lest their own capitol buildings and city halls be defaced or burned.  Others of these left wing “leaders” called for the police to be defunded, and again accused Trump of backing violence when he offered help.

Frankly, I think that I join most Americans throughout this great country, that think that two weeks of even peaceful protests, not to say, violent rioting, multiple deaths,  and the defacing and destruction of a large part of Americana are not justified by the death of one man, whatever the symbolism.  The protests highlight that bigotry needs to be eradicated in our police departments, but since the police are mostly run by insular “progressive”, left wing administrations, this is easier said than done.  Elect Giuliani or Kerik style reformers, and we may have a chance.

As for the rest of society, we need to keep working at eradicating bigotry until a black person not only has equal rights in the law on paper, but until he or she can truly circulate in our society without fear of being needlessly harassed only because of their skin color.

Ray Gruszecki

June 7, 2020