Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd
on Memoria Day. Riots began in Minneapolis on the following day and quickly spread across the
country. Within a week of Floyd's death, more than half the states had called out their National Guard.
Dozens of police officers have been
injured over a week of rioting. In New York City, almost four dozen police
cars were damaged or destroyed. In Chicago, a policewoman was assaulted by
rioters who tried to keep her from making an arrest. In Minneapolis-St. Paul, more than 250 buildings were damaged or destroyed by rioters, including a police station and a post
office.
All this mayhem
was triggered by the unjust killing of a black man, but I think there are other
causes for all this violence. After all, there are 40 million Americans who are
out of work. Surely some protestors are on the streets simply because they are unemployed and bored.
For example, while watching the television
coverage of the riots last week, I saw a slightly obese white guy in his fifties who
was out on the streets of Minneapolis. A television camera captured the
man verbally abusing a police officer from a distance of about six inches from
the officer's face. Does that guy have a job, I wondered?
I don't wish to disparage the
motives of the people who are demonstrating in our cities, but I think there
would have been a lot less vandalism, arson, and looting if there were not so
many jobless people.
A dude with a job would probably turn
down an invitation to set fire to the post office. "It's a lovely
invitation," he might say, "but unfortunately, I have to be at work
tomorrow by 8 AM."
He might also beg off from joining an
expedition to loot the local liquor store. "I wish I could join you,"
he might explain," but I have to get the kids off to school tomorrow morning.
Requiring people to wear masks when
they appear in public is also playing a role in all this chaos. Many
states passed anti-mask laws back in the 1920s to help bring down the Ku Klux
Klan. But this past week, thousands of protesters were wearing masks that
cloaked them in anonymity should they decide to throw a firebomb at a police
cruiser.
George Floyd's death has fueled
legitimate anger all over the United States. Everyone realizes that. But in my
opinion, these riots will not be quelled so long as millions of Americans are
jobless and required to wear masks when they are on the streets.
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Burning police cars: requiring people to wear masks is part of the problem. |