Bad Boys II

[Dill]

(05-30-2020, 02:27 PM)hollodero Wrote: There's all kind of weird stuff. Eg. I overheard Al Sharpton critisize the violent protesters for also destroying black-owned stores. I found this an utterly moronic thing to say.
Others blame white agitators, which I also consider weird. Others defend, others excuse. In reality, burning stuff down and looting is a) wrong and b) not helpful to the cause. It seems a real hard task to just state that.

I don't understand why it is "moronic" to criticize violent protestors for "also destroying black-owned stores." Or is Sharpton's implication that burning down white-owned stories is ok?  That reading isn't really supported even in this Fox report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/al-sharpton-black-owned-stores-destruction-minneapolis-reckless

Also, I don't understand why it would be "weird" to blame white agitators. Local authorities in Minneapolis are doing that, alongside community and civil rights leaders based upon testimony of ground-level eyewitnesses and photographs. One of the problems with recent (since Ferguson) civil rights protests centered on police overreach has been their draw for various groups with broader or other agendas than addressing police violence.

Minnesota Governor to Mobilize National Guard to Confront Agitators
https://www.voanews.com/usa/minnesota-governor-mobilize-national-guard-confront-agitators
The governor of Minnesota called Saturday for the full mobilization of the National Guard to confront what he called a “tightly controlled” group of outside protestors who have engaged in looting, arson and other acts of violence in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Finally, I am puzzled that anyone would say "it seems a real hard task" to say that burning stuff down and looting is wrong and not helpful to the cause.  People have been doing that on the Sunday talk shows all day today. AM Joy had six people doing that all at once, including Joy.

Same with the print media.  Sprawling Protest Movement Treads Line Between Justice Agenda and Chaos
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/30/us/george-floyd-protest-minneapolis.html

And, of course, the same on this message board, where pretty much everyone who has spoken on the subject has condemned violence and looting.  I haven't heard anyone "excuse or defend" it. (Sometimes, though, analysis of causes gets called "excusing," especially if among the causes is unaddressed police violence.) So far as I can tell, the only place actual support for violence and looting would appear would be on random (and mostly anonymous) venues like commentaries following news articles. I have not seen any support yet, but in the past that is where it has appeared.