Protesting vs Looting

In 1963 the late Reverend Martin Luther King organized a march on Washington DC, where he made his "I have a Dream" speech, to foster change in the United States. Louis Farrakhan organized a march on Washington DC in 1995, the so called Million Man March, to also elicit personal pride and change in the country.

Some say nothing much has happened to change things in this country since then.

I can see why marching on Washington isn't doing much to change things. Our Constitutional Government, by design, is geared for measured change. So it stands to reason that frustration can occur when groups, hungry for acceptance, decide it's better to take a shortcut.

But why, instead of marching to City Hall, The State House or head to Washington, do today's protesters head straight to the Mercantile Districts?

If a march on Washington isn't going to do it for you, I can't see the political advantage of tearing into an Apple Store or a Macy's Department Store. All I can get from this is that, rather than this being about the careless murder of a man by the callous police, it's about getting free stuff for yourself. In fact, it's ALL about YOU, isn't it?

Here in the city of Boston, last evenings "Protesters" marched right past the State House, where the State Legislature meets and where the Governor has his offices and headed instead down the street to nearby Downtown Crossing, where there are department stores, jewelry shops and other businesses big and small.

Why pick there to do your protesting?

Across the street from the State House is the famous Boston Common, which has been a traditional place to hold protests and rallies. The British garrison stationed on the Common, back when Boston was locked down and closed off by the British Empire following the Tea Party, watched Samuel Adams ride by on his way to the 2nd Continental Congress in Philadelphia to urge independence for the Colonies.

But this place too, was overlooked for the expression of the personal moral outrage felt by those marchers who only wanted to show their solidarity with the spirit of George Floyd, I'm sure. The city common is just not a suitable place to fully communicate their view on race relations in these United States circa 2020.

No, they have to go to the Shops!

This is where they can best be heard.

We just can't understand what it's like to be them! We can't walk in their shoes because we don't know, won't know, CAN'T possibly EVER know what it's like to be where they are at this very moment in their unrelenting grief.

Which at the moment is standing outside the window of the Shop & Save with a brick in their hand and a firebomb in their backpack.

"NOBODY knows how we FEEL!" they scream. "You racist, leave us alone to protest the only way we can to express our feelings."

"After all, they're only stores and shops, they're not people. They have insurance! So whats wrong with tearing them up? "

I've heard this lately from media people and Liberal politicians and it's unbelievable the lack of support for the people who risked their savings and put in the time to start a small business. Whole families depend on the income of many of these places and they all work there. With the taxes they pay, this is what they get? After being arbitrarily shut down and thrown out of work for 3 whole months, this is what they get?

Contrary to popular belief, it is the Small Businesses that drive employment in this country. Businesses that employ under 100 people employ the most people in the U.S. and not the big corporations. And between the bizarre shutting down of "non-essential" businesses and now the direct burning and looting attacks directed, not at the seats of government but at them, small business in this country is suddenly very much on the ropes.

This isn't an accident. This is by design to make sure the small businessman, a vulnerable pillar of our economy, is injured beyond repair. This is the double-whammy of being denied revenue combined with a guarantee of increased overhead because their insurance premiums will be going up, that is, if they're insured at all which many are not. It's not free money.

And once they're gone, who will risk taking their place?

Our local governors and mayors better wake up and drop the political game to stop this now.

This is not a protest and these are not protesters.

Time for the Governors to quit dragging their feet and open up the States already.

Let's get back to work!