I’d like to open this article by acknowledging the fact that I have the privilege of being a white American male. I represent the group with the most opportunity in this country.
I will never claim to relate to the plight of the oppressed, because I am so far removed from that way of living that it would be extraordinarily ignorant to do so.
However, I’m fortunate enough to have studied humanities in Communications, Sociology, and Psychology; worked in marketing and communications for years; traveled extensively; and opened my eyes and ears to many diverse voices.
I have something to share, particularly with my privileged brethren, and I hope you’ll take the time to read.
Heartbreak, violence, and voices
Violence by definition is “the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy.”1
50P definitively does NOT condone violence of any sort. Violence is a weak reaction to emotion and is perpetrated out of fear and/or the desire to control. There is no justification for violence, from anyone or any group, period. There are other much more constructive ways to deal with conflict.
However, violence happens every day all over the world, and it’s important to understand the catalysts and motives behind it in order to determine how to break the cycle.
The tragedy of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25th has sparked shockwaves of reactions throughout the United States, even worldwide. Most of these shockwaves appear to be resonating with overwhelming support for Floyd’s family, condemnation of the officers involved in his death, and calls for justice from all walks of humanity… As it should be!
There are predominately peaceful reactions and protests coming from those most affected, and supporters of positive change.
Then there are others with ulterior motives, which have unfortunately instigated rioting in numerous cases across the country, including my own hometown of Portland, Oregon.
Subsequently, we see counter-reactions coming from those angry with and confused by the motives of the rioters, and conflating the horrible violence with the righteousness of the peaceful movement.
These counter-reactions have been expressed widely, from my perspective, by the voices of the privileged.
They are the audience I’ll be speaking to throughout the rest of this article. ALL are welcome to read.
Here are some viewpoints that I’ve heard presented by those fed up with the rioting:
Rioting eclipses the loss of George Floyd
Rioting dishonors the victim and draws attention away from the crime itself.
It destroys businesses and sucks up finances
Rioting is destructive and will cost tax payers millions of dollars to repair damages nationwide.
Conservative groups didn’t take it this far with their stay at home protests in April
The predominately white protesters who assembled at state capital buildings in April to protest Covid lockdowns didn’t resort to violence.
Violence leads to more violence
These types of acts should be completely condemned because they feed an ongoing cycle of abuse.
We need to be aware of our personal context and perspective
Viewpoints like this are understandable, but they also reside on a plane of superficial observance that often pervades privileged populations that don’t have a contextual understanding of being perpetually and systemically oppressed, especially for something as ludicrous as the skin color they were born with.
This is not to say that privileged populations don’t undergo their own hardships, even systemically. They certainly do.
However, unless one is well-versed in cultural injustices and/or has been immersed in a suppressed culture, it can be all too easy to point blame at, dismiss, and condemn the actions or reactions of those drenched in the flood of social inequality.
Let’s move beyond surface observations and dig a bit deeper
Rioting eclipses the loss of George Floyd... You're right! And it’s predominately the result of nefarious players who are mostly white.
In a famous speech entitled “Other America” given by Martin Luther King, Jr. at Stanford University in 1967, he states, “Certain conditions continue to exist in our society, which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality and humanity.”2
Obviously this speech was given in a different time, but it resonates LOUDLY today, particularly in the aftermath of the murders of George Floyd and multiple other black citizens.
A community outsider or superficial viewer cannot even begin to understand the fear and resentment of the oppressed, and thus cannot understand their subsequent reactions.
If we live in a system that doesn’t give a voice to the oppressed, and stand by in total silence, then we are complicit in enabling the problem.
The blame for the violence should be pointed at those who come out of the woodwork to riot, destroy, and instigate during times of upheaval… These people DO NOT represent the peaceful views of the majority of oppressed masses who simply want their voices to be heard and positive changes to be made toward equality in this country, without resorting to further destruction.
“Law enforcement and federal officials say outside elements from both far-right and far-left groups are helping fuel the violent and damaging confrontations that have marred protests across the country in recent days.”3
Antifa:
To begin with, it’s important to understand that Antifa is not an organized group… It’s a movement of anarchists set to rain destruction in defiance of perceived and real threats of Fascism amongst US government leaders and certain US groups. There is not an established Antifa organization, but a bunch of loosely associated sub-groups dedicated to a predominately anti-government agenda, showing force through both physical and vocal attacks.
Fascism by definition is, “ a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, as well as strong regimentation of society and of the economy.”
As Americans we should all fear the prospect of Fascist control, which strips freedom from the nation’s people and gives pure freedom to the most powerful leaders of the country.
The concept is wildly unconstitutional by US standards.
Antifa is a really poor label for a bunch of predominately white millennial fringe miscreants set to wreak havoc and violence, particularly in times of unrest like this, where they can infiltrate under the radar.
Antifa affiliates have certainly played a role in the rioting as of late, and where their fundamental anti-fascist intent may be virtuous, nothing about their actions are. They MUST be brought to justice for their role in this social unrest.
Brian Jordan Bartels, 20, faces charges of institutional vandalism, rioting, and reckless endangerment of another person, according to Pittsburgh police. (Pittsburgh Police Department)4
White Supremacists:
I’ll break this one up by reports.
“A white supremacist channel on the encrypted messaging app Telegram encouraged its followers to spark violence to start a race war during nationwide protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd… citing an internal Department of Homeland Security intelligence note… The DHS note warning of white supremacist linked violence was circulated among law enforcement officials… Citing the FBI, it said that two days after Floyd's death, the channel ‘incited followers to engage in violence and start the 'boogaloo' — a term used by some violent extremists to refer to the start of a second Civil War — by shooting in a crowd.’”5
“Twitter has deleted a white supremacist account that was pretending to represent ‘Antifa’, the left-wing activist group that Donald Trump has blamed for disturbances during protests across the US.”6
Minnesota officials say many of the violent protesters who have caused widespread damage are from out of state. Authorities have been monitoring alleged criminals online, including postings by suspected white supremacists trying to incite violence.
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) May 30, 2020
“Hardcore ‘accelerationists’… are encouraging their neo-Nazi followers to go to the protests and carry out acts of violence against black people — all with the goal of ‘exacerbating the ethnic tensions’ and sparking a ‘race war.’… Accelerationists promote violence to speed up the collapse of society.”7
I’ll repeat it (mostly) as I said for Antifa…
White Supremacist and their affiliates have certainly played a role in the rioting as of late, and NOTHING about them OR their actions are virtuous. They MUST be brought to justice for their part in this social unrest.
It destroys businesses and sucks up finances… Which, if invested in poor communities and better nationwide education beforehand, would have prevented the riot in the first place.
The cost of damages from these riots pales in comparison to the cost of years of racial injustice and social inequity in this country.
Reeeeeeeeallly let that sink in for a second. You can do your own research on this one if need be.
Conservative groups didn’t take it this far with their stay at home protests in April… But conservative groups are predominately composed of the privileged in this country, and in many cases during the protests in April they actually did break the law.
“When our Founding Fathers fought for independence, violence was the clarion call. Phrases such as ‘Live free or die,’ ‘Give me liberty or give me death,’ and ‘Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God’ echoed throughout the nation.”8
So let’s not pretend that as a nation we haven’t touted violence to drive change in the past. It’s how we liberated ourselves from the British, and overthrew slavery. Not an excuse, but a fact.
“Yet the language used to refer to protesters has included looters, thugs, and even claims that they are un-American. The philosophy of force and violence to obtain freedom has long been employed by white people and explicitly denied to black Americans.”8
AGAIN: A community outsider or superficial viewer cannot even begin to understand the fear and resentment of the oppressed, and thus cannot understand their subsequent reactions.
As for those predominately white folks protesting against the stay at home orders in April, yes, they were generally peaceful… AND they were also granted privilege to break laws by openly carrying firearms on government grounds where open carrying is disallowed by law.
Think you would see the same treatment if most of those protesters were Black? Answer: One gun and done (or possibly dead)… guaranteed.
Violence leads to more violence… Such is the path that we’ve chosen, whether actively or passively, as a nation and as a world.
The old saying holds true “Violence begets violence.”
But where does the cycle stop?
Does it stop at the hands of an oppressed people who have been subjected to violence and criticism, and denied a voice, resources, proper education, security and so much more in their very own nation, where they too pay taxes?
Or, does it stop with a nation who should collectively stand up and say, “We will no longer put up with the oppression of ANY citizens in a country built upon the values of equality and freedom”?
We’re supposed to be the exemplary nation, but what kind of example are we setting? A cycle of fear, violence, prejudice, and hatred.
Leadership Response
Before I jump into this I want to thank all of the good men and women of law enforcement and the US Military for their selfless service to the American people. Your voices, patient and peaceful enforcement, and condemnation of the few bad seeds amongst you are paramount to systemic progress.
Minneapolis:
Friday, May 29th
A CNN crew, including African American anchor Omar Jimenez, was arrested and held by police, even after Jimenez showed his press credentials. A white colleague nearby, CNN’s Josh Campbell (aforementioned in his Tweet about White Supremacist activity above), was also approached by police, but upon showing his press credentials was told by police, “OK, you're permitted to be in the area.”
Read Article
Saturday, May 30th
Enforcement officers storm a residential area with tear gas and riot bullets, shooting at innocent people in their private residences and demanding that they get inside.
Read Article
“The audacity of property owners in this country!!! Thinking they can use their own land, voices, rights, and cell phone videos to question the government?! It's totally unconscionable.” – Said no patriotic American ever
Washington DC:
Monday, June 2th
Protesters are subjected to tear gas and riot grenades outside of St. John’s Episcopal Church in preparation for Donald Trump’s morning visit. Amongst those affected are Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington D.C., other religious leaders, and innocent bystanders.
Read Article
President Trump's photo opportunity in front of St. John's Episcopal church in Washington has set off criticism, as law enforcement used tear gas and force to clear a path for him to walk from the White House. (Tom Brenner/Reuters)9
Seattle:
Saturday, May 30th
A young child was pepper sprayed by police. Peaceful protesters rallied around her to use milk to flush out her eyes (casein in milk bonds to the capsaicin in pepper spray and flushes it out).
Read Article
Buffalo New York:
Thursday, May 4th
A defenseless 75 year old man was shoved hard to the ground by riot police and left to bleed from the head. Two officers were suspended… 57 fellow officers resigned their riot patrol posts in solidarity with their police brethren.
Read Article
REALLY!?!
Here we go again… Elements of corruption in certain areas of leadership and policing have absolutely played a role in contributing to the rioting as of late. Unlawful offenders MUST be brought to justice for their part in this social unrest.
This is not a two-sided issue, it’s OUR issue… period
Privileged people… The only thing we need to be doing right now is listening and supporting the progression toward social equality.
It is righteous and realistic to condemn the rioting that has resulted from the tragic loss of George Floyd and others. As I stated in the beginning of this article, violence is a weak reaction to emotion and is perpetrated out of fear and/or the desire to control.
But as you condemn the violence, you must acknowledge the source first. It’s being perpetrated widely by people who are trying to disrupt progress… people who are reinforcing inequality by detracting from the important lessons that we all should be learning now. Very little is being instigated by the victims themselves.
To deny that nullifies your condemnation of the rioting itself and perpetuates the problem… It’s a denial that supports double standards and betrays a lack of understanding or empathy. It is completely unrighteous.
Further… condemning the actions of one aggressor DOES NOT mean condoning the actions of the other.
Just because I may condemn the violent reactions of police in their attempt to control the riots, doesn’t mean I support Antifa… but these types of counter arguments are used all the time.
Such arguments are superficial and weak, and are used to deflect responsibility by individuals lacking personal knowledge, empathy, and accountability.
In the recent 50P article, 3 ways our antiquated instincts are failing us (part 4 of 4) – A horizon of incredible opportunity, I stated: “The ‘black and white’ designations we give things are the limitations that we impose upon ourselves and each other: the labels, the tribes, the classes, the ‘isms,’ the prejudices, the propaganda, the fear, the greed, the subjugation, the “Win at all cost” attitudes, etc. … These are the extremes which collectively divide us.”
Instead of complaining about it and reacting with anger at protestors, we need to DO something about the systemic racism and suppression of the poor in this country and throughout the world, particularly at the hands of the wealthy and powerful.
- We need total accountability from EVERYONE.
- We need to expand our minds beyond the superficial bounds of our everyday existence.
- We need to reach out to one another and find unity across the board.
- We need the people of this nation to take back control of finances in this country, because the wealthy and powerful keep sucking up resources, leaving millions of citizens high and dry, and contributing to an ever growing cycle of poverty. Look up income inequality and tell me otherwise.
- We need to reform crony capitalism, and demand justice and accountability from political leaders because THEY WORK FOR US.
- We need to innovatively reinvest finances in education, advocacy, and social programs that give the oppressed an actual boost, rather than whatever it is that we’re currently failing at doing.
- We need to actively stop prejudice and hatred at every turn.
- We need a blanket understanding that if we’re not part of the solution, we ARE the problem.
The question is… WILL YOU BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION?
Thank you for reading and please feel free to share, and Comment below.