WNU Editor: This is what strikes me about the protests and riots that have engulfed a few dozen U.S. cities in the past few days.
* George Floyd was unemployed. Losing his job because of the Covid-19 shutdown. Was he receiving any benefits to make his life easier? I do not know. But he was clearly desperate enough to try and use a counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase.
* The police conduct in his arrest was beyond horrible. That is not how professional law enforcement officers operate.
* George Floyd's autopsy report shows that he did not die from asphyxiation. Apparently other factors were involved. My guess is that the stress of being arrested and how he was arrested overwhelmed his system. This probably explains why the charge against the police officer who was caught on film kneeling on Mr. Floyd's neck was murder in the third degree.
* The mayor of Minneapolis is clearly not up to the job. He was quick to fire the four police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, but his response to the rioters was slow and uneven. He basically abandoned a good part of his city on Thursday to the rioters, and as a result many innocent business owners and civilians have now had their livelihoods destroyed. His accusations that the riots were caused by white supremacists are bizarre.
* The Governor was even more inept. Literally disappearing on Friday, thereby providing no leadership to the National Guard on what needed to be done. This lack of law-enforcement only encouraged the rioters, and to spread even more violence. Blaming the violence on outsiders was also not backed up by the evidence.
* Almost all of the riots and violence that broke out in the U.S. yesterday were in cities controlled by Democrat politicians for decades. Considering the rot and decay in many of these cities with the lack of job opportunities, coupled with the high unemployment that many are now experiencing because of the Covid-19 lockdowns. It did not take much for the situation to blow up. Throw race and feelings of inequality into the mix, and you now have a disaster.
* The attempt of some protesters to storm the White House is insane. Deadly force will be used.
* I personally never like to see important symbols or institutions destroyed or defaced. The looting and the destruction of the College Football Hall of Fame on Friday, followed last night by St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City desecrated with protest graffiti. These monsters disgust me.
* The main stream media has shown itself once again that their priority is no longer to report on the news, but to shape it. You can hear the disappointment in their voices when they were reporting on peaceful demonstrations where "nothing" was happening. They want the violence because it means ratings and recognition.
* Speaking of the main stream media (again). On all of the Sunday morning talk shows the pundits and reporters are saying that people are angry and enraged over the killing of George Floyd, inequality, police brutality, Trump, etc.. Fair enough. But I think the media is missing an even bigger story. The anger among the mass majority of Americans who do not see themselves as racists, who work hard, who obey the laws of the country, and who need to feel that their government will protect them from the mob. They are not at all happy with what they are seeing. In five months these people are going to the polls, and here is an easy prediction. If this unrest continues and the economy shows no signs of improvement in the coming months, they are going to unload on the politicians who they feel have failed them, from the municipal level straight to the country's top leaders.
Update: Some of my readers think these protests/riots will end in a few days. I am not sure. Too many people are invested in these protests to continue. The economy is fragile. Tens of millions are out of work. There is a lot of fear, anger, and desperation out there. And what is adding extra fuel to all of this is the pandemic. It is still with us, and it has no desire to disappear.
