I have said the Derek Chauvin’s are not police officers; they are murderers masquerading as police officers.
The same can be said about the looter and rioters doing this for their gain; they are not protestors; they are criminals masquerading as protesters.
Media coverage, some outlets more than others, has focused more on these criminals than the legitimate protesters, a coalition of the righteous, who are engaging in legitimate acts of civil disobedience all around the country.
Part of this is calculated, especially on some networks. Yes, focusing on the criminal acts leads to higher ratings, but it also says to certain groups watching – See, this is why we must maintain control. Why we must dominate the streets, look at what we will descend into if we don’t.
It changes the narrative from the root cause of the protests to that of the looting. This gives those who wish would ignore the economic and social injustices that precipitated this unrest the cover they are looking for to do just that, ignore it.
It also provides them with the ammunition they crave to keep us as a people divided. To stop what they fear, the coming together of white, black, and brown. The coalition of the righteous.
Progressive activist DaShanne Stokes once said:
“The more we’re thrown into conflict with each other through engineered distrust, the less able we are to unite against those responsible.”
The economic and social foundation of this society is built on the marginalization of and economic and social oppression of the poor in general and people of color specifically, and it won’t be until America is made to realizes that it seriously take on the problem of the systematic racism that has permeated this country for four hundred years it will always run the risk of exploding as it has this week