Rioting, Looting, and Civil Unrest

By Tyson Cash

June 3, 2020

​ We can all agree, whether white or black, liberal or conservative, or anything else that makes us different as Americans that the killing of George Floyd by the policer officer in Minneapolis, MN was beyond wrong. It was unlawful, uncalled for, a use of excessive force and the officer/s involvedshould be punished to the fullest extent of the law. However, all the rioting, looting, anarchy, and civil unrest is not called for and the people involved should also be punished to the fullest extent of the law. While it is your 1st amendment right to peacefully protest, its NOT your right to riot, loot, set cars on fire, break windows, spray paint buildings, attack cops, and commit the other sickening crimes seen going on in these protest across our great American cities for the past week. As of writing this article on June 1st, 2020, there were multiple days of violent riots, demonstrations, and lootings in Minneapolis, Atlanta, Houston,Los Angles, Memphis, NYC, and others. The issue isn’t whether there should be justice for George Floyd, justice was served as the officer has been charge and arrested, the issue is how we as a society are responding to this horrible crime committed against this innocent man.

​ Police cars set on fire, businesses big and small looted and destroyed, city/government buildings gratified, police officers ruthlessly attacked, and organized civil unrest are ways that many individuals reacted to the killing of George Floyd. There were many different parties involved from the BLM Movement, to Antifa, to local community activist groups, individualcitizens, to just people who wanted to loot and get away with senseless crime. There is not one particular group to blame since there were many different groups and individuals involved in many of these riots across the country. However, the individuals, politicians, celebrities, and organized groups defending these crimes and supporting it either with direct or indirect action can and should be held accountable just as much as the people actually committing these crimes. Whether it’s through helping to organize these violent and unlawful riots directly orcontributing financially to assist them in violence. Individualsand organizations who do this should be held responsible for all this senseless violence going on in many parts of our country.

Good intentions but bad outcomes. That’s how these protests can be described. While you have a right to want justice for George Floyd, you have a constitutional right to peacefully assembly and let your voice be heard, you have a right to demand systemic change, you DON’T have a right to cause or incentivize violence, destruction, and/or rioting. This isn’t an issue on justice for George Floyd or Police Brutality, this is an issue for the tactics being used during these protests. There are just too many different groups involved to accurately point the blame too. There are many different groups and people who are shielding these crimes, defending their actions, and allowing them to continue to riot, loot, and cause destruction under their umbrella of indirect support and watch. The violence has to stop. This isn’t a way to honor and demand justice for an innocent man killed by police, this is civil unrest and it must be stopped.

There are many arguments made defense of the rioters to justify their illegal actions. The Boston Tea Party “Riot” in 1773 by the colonist is a classic of how is this okay in American history but our actions now are wrong. During the Boston Tea Party, they directly attacked the root of their problem, the tea on a ship since they were paying overwhelming taxes on it, and they didn’t loot, vandalize, or target anything else besides the tea on the ship. When this happened, the colonist were also petitioning, engaging in mostly peacefully protests, and trying to establish a governance during this time as well. The French Revolution is another example used to compare and justify the riots. During the French Revolution, they literally had a one party system, which was the French Monarch and had no way to be represented formally. Also, there was a very bad drought which led to mass famine and starvation so many citizens looted to survive, rather than looting 4K TVs from Target or Gucci Belts as seen in videos from the Minneapolis riots. One last point is many protesters are mad and upset that no real systemic change has been enacted after many, many years of police brutality, killings of unarmed black men, and little actions from politicians. Many individuals point to prominent examples such as Michael Brown in 2014, Trayvon Martin in 2012, Sandra Bland in 2015, Alton Sterling in 2016, Freddie Grey in 2015, Eric Garner in 2014, etc. and say this was the fuel to the fire and after many, many years of inaction, Mr. Floyd was the last straw and all the upset, anger, and frustration has finally been released and this is the outcome. While I can understand and sympathizeas an African American man, we must not point the finger and realize who is to blame. All of these killings happened under the Obama Administration and little to no major police/criminal justice reform, policy changes, or meaningful laws were passed in the wake of this. No one pointed the finger at President Obama, Vice-President Biden, or his administration but now that this happened under Trump and his administration, people want to point the blame at President Trump and the Republicans and accuse him of this being at fault. While I am not trying to defend Trump, solely place the blame on Obama, nor do I seek to blame one peculiar person, group, political party, or presidential administration, one thing must be made clear. This is many, many decades of systemic injustice and placing the blame on one person, political party, or Presidential Administrationcannot, and will not solve the issue. There were too many different factors, racial issues, and administrations at play to sole place the blame on one person, group, or administration. Finally, this must be made clear. To change the system, you must be a part of the system.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. While you have a right to be angry, demand change, and protest for your rights and make your voice be heard, you don’t have a right to loot stores, cause violence, shield and support radical groups that only seek to cause harm and destruction. Justice for Mr. Floyd should happen, but consequently, violence is just not the answer, as said by his brother. Many great leaders such as MLK Jr. and Gandhiachieved their goals without senseless violence and crime, and we must look to them for guidance during this time. Violence cannot and will not truly solve all your problems. We just cannot condone and support all the violence looting and rioting by “protesters.” This must stop, and it must stop now.