https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2020/06/black_americans_speak_out_on_george_floyd_and_the_riots.html
George Floyd was killed by excessive force by a police officer in Minneapolis. Across the board, Americans were outraged. Peaceful protests arose, but with the protests came forces that initiated violence by killing innocents and police, burning buildings, destroying property, and stealing. American Thinker interviewed black Americans for their feelings of what is happening in this country today. The black Americans are all in agreement that they are horrified by what happened to George Floyd, but they are equally horrified by the violence and lack of law and order.
These black Americans feel dismayed by what happened. They recognize that there is legitimate anger over the tactics used by the Minneapolis police.
Stacy Washington is the co-chairperson of Project 21, founded after the 1992 Los Angeles riots to highlight black Americans’ political diversity. She differentiates between a protester, someone who exercises his right under the 1st Amendment, and rioters who break the law. Kathy Barnette, who is running in the general election for Pennsylvania’s 4th Congressional District, saw “the heart of a nation rise up in defense of George Floyd. No one tried to defend the indefensible acts of these officers. I was even more excited to see President Trump immediately have the Justice Department investigate and not sweep what happened under the rug.”
All interviewed want to emphasize that it is inexcusable for many of the cities to have abdicated the rule of law. There are those who claim that the riots and destruction of property are understandable and excusable since it is not a life being destroyed. Stacy responds, “Property is a life. I agree buildings are not alive, but what happens inside of buildings enables people to live. It is their livelihood. Studies show there is a direct link between increases with poverty and suicide/homicide. People turn to crime when they are not able to be employed. In Ferguson, Missouri, after the riots, M1 Bank literally created investment vehicles. The neighborhood became integrated, and young couples, both black and white, could afford a house. Now things are getting burned down again. I am not sure the neighborhoods will be rebuilt.”
Chris Arps, a Project 21 member, agrees with this Martin Luther King quote: “I feel that non-violence is really the only way that we can follow because violence is just so self-defeating. A riot ends up creating many more problems for the negro community than it solved. You can, through violence, burn down a building, but you can’t establish justice. You can murder a murderer, but you can’t murder through violence. You can murder a hater, but you can’t murder hate.”
