As I write this post at the end of May, 2020, there is deep unrest across the nation.
For weeks now, there have been protests over the COVID-19 lockdowns, including armed demonstrators gathering on the steps of state capitols. In just the past few days, protests over the murder of George Floyd have spread across not just Minneapolis, Minnesota, but several other cities as well. And some of these protests seem to have morphed into arson and vandalism.
These two protest movements offer an opportunity to discuss how and why we protest. What works, what builds momentum, what draws people in, and what thrusts potential allies into the arms of your enemies?
The people with rifles protesting government-imposed quarantines and shutdowns at state capitols torched exactly zero businesses and killed no one. They were nonetheless called "terrorists." They have been demonized as people actively trying to murder the populace and destroy lives. All because they peacefully objected to the manner in which governments responded to the COVID-19 while ensuring they carried the means to resist police brutality against them.
Meanwhile, some of the same people who were wringing their hands over the people who peacefully carried rifles while objecting to governmental overreach are excusing the vandalism and arson that broke out across Minneapolis. Such actions inflict actual terror and suffering upon innocent people and drives them to see the police as their protectors from such chaos.
That is exactly the opposite of the effect needed when protesting police brutality.
Destroying your neighbor's home or business does not "fight the power," it makes your neighbor see the government power as a protector and YOU as the enemy.
And you are the enemy.
Don't you dare complain that other people "value property over human life" when they object to such vandalism. You place their lives below your interest when you inflict such needless suffering upon them. You are behaving exactly like the government, treating their lives and work as a means to your own ends, but with even less subtlety. This is one of the primary reasons why decades of protests and riots have done nothing to stem police abuse.
By all means, protest. By all means, vandalize cop cars and burn down police stations. When the justice system fails, as it has, perhaps vigilante justice is even in order. But you MUST act wisely, especially when emotions run high. Don't wage a war against your neighbors in your fight against the State and its enforcers. There is never an excuse for collateral damage, and real change is impossible when you drive off those you most need on your side.
