Once
again things are getting out of hand in another major urban area in the
country. Last year we watched Ferguson get flipped upside down and now we are
watching Baltimore burn. In each instance a rush to judgement, a rush to
convict local law enforcement, fueled a rage within those communities resulting
in the destruction of their own home and the disruption of life across the country.
These
are just the most prominent instances when the community has rallied around the
untimely death of a frequent felon. That’s right, I said it. When one looks at
the records of the men who were killed in each of these instances you will find
a long criminal record casting a shadow over the events that lead to their
ultimate demise.
Could
law enforcement handled things differently in each of these cases? Most definitely.
Would the outcome have been different? There is no guarantee that it would have
been any different or that the results would have been worse. Would there have
been riots in the streets had the police officer been the one shot? I don’t
think so.
No
one in the streets is interested in hearing both sides of the story. They are
only seeing one possible scenario, the one that fits into their own racist
views, the cops are out to kill “black men”. Truth be told… black lives matter,
white lives matter, blue lives matter, all lives matter. Don’t assign sainthood
on someone just because it fits your agenda. Don’t use the loss of life as an
excuse to destroy your own community.
Every
time an alarm rings an "angel" gets his bling. That is the real modern twist on a
classic. This isn’t such a wonderful life.
As
for those who are taking to the streets to protest… anyone who participates in
these riots or vandalism should be arrested. I’m not talking about those who
are peacefully doing so… you may be misguided and annoying but you are
certainly within your right to do so. I’m talking about those who insist on
destroying property, harass people passing by, and shut down streets in major
cities by recklessly blocking all the lanes. Arrest them all.
However,
the most important thing that all of the people out there who are upset about
what is going on should remember is that what you are doing now and how you are
going about it will not bring about the change you are looking for. If you want
your community to improve, your situation to change, law enforcement to act differently
do something about it and get involved. Don’t just walk around screaming and
throwing stones. Get a job, volunteer to help the community, go to school, run
for office, or, better yet, become a police officer. Stop destroying the world
and make an effort to improve it!
