by Robert M. Traxler
The violence sparked by the death of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of police has changed from protest to criminal activity.
Exactly how my friends on the left rationalize stealing a 60-inch TV from a store in the name of protest is an interesting exercise in what our editor calls binary thinking. They will condemn the act but quickly justify the crime with statements like, “…but it is understandable.” Folks you cannot make this stuff up.
Did we not learn anything from the Aug. 9, 2014, Ferguson Missouri incident? Remember “hands up don’t shoot?” NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, PBS, MSNBC, most print media and others all reported that a police officer shot Michael Brown in the back while he was on his knees with his hands up. The media interviewed a number of people who swore that’s how it happened; however, when placed under oath at the officer’s trial, they all changed their stories.
A gross autopsy of Mr. Brown’s body the day of the shooting showed an entrance wound in the front and an exit wound in his back. Did the media change the narrative after the proof was known? No, no they did not. Facts? Who cares, they get in the way of the politically correct narrative or binary thinking.
NBC News Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins wrote about the ongoing riots on May 31… and anecdotal reports of white supremacists and other extremist groups fomenting violence have been amplified by similar claims from authorities, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who tweeted on Saturday that the city is “now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region.”
That claim was later boosted by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who claimed “outside protesters, white supremacists and drug cartels were part of the protest groups in Minneapolis.” The mayor of Washington D.C. also blamed the right for the riots. The editor of this esteemed publication rails against binary thinking; Mr. Editor, this is an example of a closed mind that rationalizes criminal activity in the furtherance of politically correct thinking, or as you say, binary thinking.
We are told to condemn criminal activity during protests but to understand them. After Ferguson Missouri, we were told that looters were merely caught up in the passion of the cause and not responsible for their actions so let them off scot-free; most were.
Antifa? Has the media ever heard of this group? A left wing, radical left-wing group, perhaps, but the leftist leaders of our large cities have not. Better to blame the right for the riots even if they have no proof, rather than tell the politically incorrect truth.
A question for the apologists for the rioters, those who say I condemn them but understand them. If the police are the problem, why did 60 Secret Service Agents protecting the White House need medical care and 11 were admitted to the hospital May 31 to June1 while only nine rioters show up at the hospital?
Please listen to the news and note the number of the police treated and the number of rioters; in most cases the injured police outnumber the rioters. Given that the media normally blame the police for being heavy handed, can they even believe that? Yes, yes they can because they want to, the truth be damned.
Every day more than 100,000 people interact with the police in the United States; think that over. 36,500,000 opportunities a year to commit an infraction. Did police officer Derek Chauvin commit a crime? It appears so, if guilty he must be punished to the fullest extent of the law, however, the law and not the press or the mob must prosecute.
After Ferguson, a woman’s cause was championed by the media for being charged for merely throwing a bottle at police; the fact that the bottle was filled with gasoline and had a wick in it was conveniently forgotten.
During the Hungarian revolution of 1956, a 10-year-old boy single-handedly destroyed three Russian main battle tanks and killed fifteen soldiers with “bottles” like hers.
Binary thinking? The left are masters at the practice
Robert,
Your liberal friends will have a hard time refuting the facts you have laid out. Well done!!
Cheers!!
Mr. Wilkens,
John,
Thanks for the comment.
The beauty of socialism is leading with preconceived thoughts and beliefs not facts. It is why the racist, sexist, homophobic, Irredeemable, xenophobic, Islamophobic, Fascist, Nazi and a basket full of others are used to stop the facts from being told.
We can’t judge folks by the group except folks the left disapproves of like Police Officers who are all judged by the acts of one.
Thanks again John.
Army Bob
You “kicked the hornet’s nest.” I would also like to hear from those who accept the vandalism and looting, throwing bricks, bottles of flammable liquid, etc.
Getting caught up in the moment makes little sense. Once you see the peaceful protest start getting heated..the wise person with a cause leaves.
One reason I have no faith in the caught up excuse. Watching the riot on Saturday night, I saw a young person breaking a window. He possessed a small guarding square shovel, much like a mason or construction worker may use. I can guess almost none of the looted buildings own such a shovel. Hence, that person came prepared… I know its only anecdotal evidence….
When are people going to learn most protesting doesn’t work. (Remember, I said MOST)
Violent riots never work unless it’s a full out revolt with the majority of the military working with you.
If you are going be involved in a riot, please be prepared to pay the price, which could be fines, imprisonment, injury or death. “Play with fire and you may get burned,” something my grandfather always told me.
Mr. Smit,
Harry,
Thank you for the comment.
Got to love those who tell us to dismantle the Police. The police in large city’s are union members? How will that work for the Socialists? The legal aspects of disbanding a Police force are enormous, the costs incalculable in life and dollars, but who cares it is the politically correct thing to do. Binary thinking yes it is. To prejudge all police officers by the actions of a few is asinine but very politically correct, the left is deft and dumb to the problems it will cause.
Thanks again.
Mr. Traxler,
I’m confused by your harsh criticism of Mr. Young’s column. Nowhere did I perceive a defense of looting and violence on his part. Nowhere was he an apologist for that behavior.
It appears to me that you confuse the understanding of the causes of violence and looting with acceptance of it. It is only through understanding the source of those actions that we can hope to mitigate the circumstances.
And it’s not simple. Because it appears that we are in a different place than we were since Ferguson. It appears that outside forces are at play where it comes to the violence and the vandalism/looting that may not have existed then. And whether those outside forces are the unregulated Antifa individuals or the organized white supremacist groups is relevant ONLY in that it is reprehensible and has to be dealt with in a manner different from peaceful protest.
Your rhetoric, in my opinion, in this piece, is meant to be combative and divisive.
You throw in the red herring of Ferguson, and the what-aboutism of violence against the police. Both are legitimate topics for discussion, but I fail to see how they pertain to binary thinking. They just confuse the point.
Ms. Mandaville
Thank you for the comment.
You stated, “You throw in the red herring of Ferguson, and the what-aboutism of violence against the police. Both are legitimate topics for discussion, but I fail to see how they pertain to binary thinking.” We were told the police officer in the Ferguson case was guilty and should be punished, trial, due process not needed. He did nothing wrong after the truth came out but to date people still believe he is guilty, his life was destroyed, binary thinking, yes it is.
My sin is disagreeing with the politically correct crowd and the monotropism that is it’s deity.
Your point “And whether those outside forces are the unregulated Antifa individuals or the organized white supremacist groups is relevant ONLY in that it is reprehensible and has to be dealt with in a manner different from peaceful protest.” The problem is that the Antifa folks, organized, funded, trained and equipped, are using the protesters for cover; their acts are entwined with the protesters. Antifa has a history going back to the 1920’s; please look at the web sites for them. You will not change your mind but you may stop calling them “unregulated”.
Thank you kindly for the comment, and I do mean it as always.
Good comment Lynn. As for the rest, so often wrong, never in doubt