When anarchists take to the streets eclipsing legitimate protests of grieving protesters over the chokehold death of 46-year-old George Floyd May 25 by 44-year-old Minneapolis police veteran Derek Chauvin, it exposes the limits of a racially diverse society. Generations of inequality and now the worst unemployment since the Great Depression create a volatile mix, igniting disenfranchised groups resorting to looting to exact payback on white society. Watching anarchists and looters swarm affluent parts of the city shows the sheer desperation of disenfranchised groups given the chance to vandalize and loot businesses. When you consider Depression era unemployment, the widespread looting takes on different significance than protesting the death of an African American at the hands of a white racist cop. One thing roving bands of anarchists prove is that the police can’t maintain order.
Elected officials, like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, gave a green light for violent protesters, showing sympathy for protesters taking to the streets over Floyd’s murder. Yet the media continues to turn the widespread rioting into a 2020 political issue, with 77-year-old former Vice President and Democrat presumptive nominee Joe Biden slamming Trump’s response. “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen,” Trump tweet Thursday. “When the looting starts, shooting starts,” Trump quoted former Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967. Trump wanted to make a point that arson and looting can’t be tolerated in any law-abiding society, regardless of what happened to Floyd. Settling the score with Floyd’s killer, Ofc. Derek Chauvin, doesn’t mean that the African American community can loot and torch U.S. cities.
Contrasting himself with Trump, Biden tried to show empathy for the lawbreakers. “The last few days have laid bare that we are a nation furious at injustice. Every person of conscience can understand the rawness of the trauma people of color experience in this country, from the daily indignities to the extreme violence, like the horrific killing of George Floyd,” Biden said, trying to contrast himself with Trump. But former President Barack Obama and Biden had a horrific track record dealing with the same kind of rioting from various racial incidents, starting with Trayvon Martin Feb. 26, 2012. What does a nation “furious about injustice” have to do with rioting. looting and torching businesses? Biden wants persons of “conscience” to understand looting, arson, violence and anarchy are certainly not protected by the Constitution or Bill of Rights, especially the First Amendment.
Where’s the protection in the First Amendment about destroying property, looting and rioting? When Biden talks about the “daily indignities,” he’s referring to the daily racism experienced by African Americans in U.S. society. But with so many success stories in the black community, it’s utterly baseless to blame the entire American society for what Biden calls “daily indignities.” What can be more of an indignity than to watch your life-business go up in smoke because anarchists decide lawlessness is the right way to protest. When Trump talks about “THUGS,” he’s referring to professional anarchists imported into various areas to loot, set fires and destroy civilization as we know it. Watching America’s big cities go up in smoke because of domestic terror groups like Anifa or Boogaloo shows that the federal government must do much more to help the cities and states contain domestic terrorism.
Media groups have bent over backwards to tolerate violent protests, acting like they’re within the law. There’s no provision in the U.S. Constitution or Bill of Rights for anyone to riot, steal, loot, set fires, all to protest their civil rights. “Groups of outside radicals and agitators are exploring the situation to pursue their own separate violent agenda,” said Atty. Gen. William Barr, pointing fingers at Antifa and other anarchist groups. “In many places, it appears the violence is planned, organized and driven by Anarchic and . . . far left extremist groups using Antifa-like tactics.” Turning today’s widespread riots and looting into a political statement shows the extremes Democrats and the media go to advance their agenda to beat Trump in November. Society must draw the line when it comes to letting roving bands of anarchists pillage-and-plunder today’s orderly society.
No one running for president can justify the widespread violence, looting and arson on American streets. “Protesting such brutality is a right and necessary,” Biden said. “But burning down communities and needless destruction is not,” sending a mixed message to anarchists now ruling American streets. Just like when Ferguson, Mo. riots occupied headlines when Biden was in office, the federal government must do more to stop the wholesale destruction of American cities under the guise of peaceful protesting. Whatever the National Guard has done in the past, they must do much more in the future to prevent more widespread destruction. There’s no excuse for big city mayors like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to let the street violence escalate to widespread destruction. When city, county or state police departments get overwhelmed, the federal government must step in to restore order.
