There’s a famous scene from the movie Network in which–prompted by a furious anchorman–people lean out of their windows and scream “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”
Any honest American knows that racist, dehumanizing and frequently violent attacks on black people, most of whom are simply going about their business and trying to live their lives, have been a constant of American life. With the ubiquity of cellphone cameras, however, it has become much more difficult to rationalize these incidents away–to tell ourselves, well, it couldn’t have happened the way it’s being reported, there must have been more to the story, or to engage in other denial mechanisms allowing those of us privileged by our whiteness to avoid really knowing.
It’s so much easier not to know, because if we know, we will also know we should do something, even if we’re not sure what that something is.
Over the past several years, there has been a constant stream of videos documenting unjustified and frequently horrific treatment of African-Americans–too often by the police who are charged with protecting members of the public, too often in striking contrast to the way those same officers are shown treating white hoodlums, and too often encouraged by the White Nationalist currently defiling the Oval Office.
The protests underway around the country are a response to the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd by a police officer; they’re the equivalent of “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore.” Those protests began as peaceful demonstrations, but a number have morphed into violence and looting.
Violence and property destruction, of course, give the Trumpers an excuse to double-down on the racism and ignore the appalling behavior that triggered civil unrest in the first place. It plays into their hands. And it is beginning to look as if some of them weren’t going to wait for black rage to ignite those fires and break those windows.
Minneapolis officials have charged that “outside forces” (mainly White Nationalists, some of whom are eager for civil war) are infiltrating peaceful protests and kicking off the violence and mayhem.
At a press conference, Gov. Tim Walls, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison alleged that outside forces infiltrated the state, and began setting fire to historic businesses in communities of color. Ellison cited a widely circulating video (cameras, again!) of a white man in a gas mask holding an umbrella who was caught by protestors on video methodically breaking windows.
The Mayor reported that every person arrested during the protests was from out of state.
Authorities will begin releasing the names of those arrested, and those individuals will be “contact-traced” to determine whether they are known members or sympathizers of the white nationalist groups that have been encouraging members to wreak havoc in Minneapolis and other cities where protests are occurring.
So here we are.
After three-and-half years in which Trump has engaged in racist rhetoric, modeled bullying behavior, and displayed contempt for the rule of law, the Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists are understandably emboldened.
The people who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 weren’t all racists–although a substantial proportion of them demonstrably were. In 2020, a vote for Trump or for any of the Republicans who continue to enable him will unequivocally be a vote for racism– and for the complete abandonment of what I have called “the American Idea.
Once upon a time, we had a federal Justice Department that could go in and figure out what is REALLY going on… Who is REALLY stirring things up and making them worse. I don’t think anyone will trust the Trump/Barr justice dept to do anything like that. The country cannot trust them to do the right thing. This makes it all so much worse.
If you’ve read or watched right wing media, they claim left wing protesters are starting the violence and looting. That we are bleeding heart liberals that initiated these protests. Antifa!
We have to arrest these people that are being videotaped like that guy which you mentioned.
Oh and there were thousands of people in front of the US Embassy in Berlin shouting, Black Lives Matter. It’s global now.
Sheila, you are so right when you write that it is so much easier not to know, because when you know you then know you must do something. This applies to all of those sunshine citizens who hide from anything and everything that might bring them some bit of discomfort. Their rhetoric today will be full of condemnation of the rioters with scant mention of the murder of a black man by the police.
And this is for Marv. Is it me or do you too see a real resemblance in all this rioting to the Night of the Broken Glass?
You absolutely know that as much as Donald Trump roils about false flag operations, that it’s exactly what’s on the minds of his supporters!
False flag or the concept of false flag has been used forever against Black Folk and anyone else that needed to have hatred ginned up against.
It’s absolutely factual, if you research that is, the rumor that Black Folk can’t get Covid19 and it’s a white man’s disease, was NOT started in the black community, the rumors roots had its origin from white nationalistic operatives hoping to wipe out entire Black communities in the United States!
The sad thing is, even in the face of empirical evidence that Black folk were dying in dis-proportionate numbers, the nationalistic False Flag operation has been working well! Because it was spread by Black Folks social media, and perpetuated a nonchalant attitude towards the Pandemic which included ignoring social distancing and facemask wearing.
And, you are correct about the False flag operations, they have been conducted here in Chicago. Jamaal Cole, (My Block My Hood My City) a young community activist who along with his brother and sister grew up with our 3 kids, Met with other young activists, and are using cameras to film those who are doing a lot of the violent instigating. And they are discovering that the False Flag operation is in full effect!
Why do you think Donald Trump put out his Twitter clarion call the other day to have the MAGA flock to the White House to “counter protest” against the protesters, Whom, he claimed were going to be met with vicious dogs and unimaginable weapons. Then he said his MAGA loves black people, they are very affectionate towards black people, indicating, that there really weren’t any Black Folk in MAGA!
Take a look at how many young black women disappear just from Just the Chicago area every year, and are never found! As a disproportionate amount of missing young girls and young women compared to other ethnic groups. Yes some might runaway, and some are killed by people in the community, but there are serial abductions going on constantly. And hide nor hair is ever seen of these young ladies ever again!
God only knows the horrors that are being levied on them before they lose their life.
It truly is disgusting, and I applaud you Sheila for bringing it to light on your blog!
False Flag is a tool of evil, and it is a tool that evil white folks have been using for many many generations! People talk, people brag, good folks hear things in passing and at a glance so to speak, they need to log it and report it! Lives depend on it, because once black lives run out, the appetite for this kind of behavior will turn on their own. And there is plenty of Empirical historical evidence for that tack!
It now appears the that over 80% of those arrested in Minneapolis were in fact from in state. I am sure anarchist and others from outside are coming in to lend a destructive hand to help trump but it appears locals are the ones being arrested. Now why they are being arrested may be in question. Are they caught damaging things or where they just someone handy to grab. I’m guessing a lot were the latter.
Yes Teresa, it’s quite similar to Kristallnacht! And, as in my comment above, there is also a night of the Long knives, although it’s extended for more than one night. That also was a false flag operation! To be sure, there’s a great similarity to the Reichstag fire, which the Nazis blamed the Communists And ginned up the hatred against them. Allowing them to be arrested and executed, and or being attacked and murdered on site by the brownshirts with impunity and extreme prejudice!
It doesn’t take much to turn a peaceful protest into a riot. The protestors may not even be aware of what’s happening before they get their first dose of tear gas.
Theresa,
“And this is for Marv. Is it me or do you too see a real resemblance in all this rioting to the Night of the Broken Glass?”
Masterful perception. Right out of President Death and Steve Bannon’s NAZI PLAYBOOK. Let’s see what happens when it is used against the African-American community in the U.S. Taking on the Jews was one thing, taking on the African-American community is another in 2020.
All I can say is, “If you’re invested in the stock market, you have my prayers on Monday morning.”
Peggy, Initially,
The protests were fairly peaceful during the day, but when that initial protest group left at dusk, a second group came out, much smaller and very destructive and violent. So once they got done destroying/vandalizing and looting businesses and starting fires the police we’re in no mood to compromise the next day with the protesters. Thereby causing more ill-will against the peaceful ones, so the instigators accomplished their goal!
Marv,
I didn’t mean to steal your thunder brother! I couldn’t resist, I’ve been talkin about the kristallnacht, night of the Long knives, and the reichstag fire and how the Nazis used it to eliminate what they considered undesirables for a long time just as you had! And let’s not forget how the Nazis used religion and converted some of the loyal Nazi churches into a state-sponsored Protestant church! One that spread propaganda against anyone who was not considered an elite Aryan, and spreading the inferiority ramblings of lunatics against resident African soldiers from the first world war and the Jews!
john,
Take the lead if you want. I’ll back you up, Bro!
Please – see my writing: Deja Vu 1968-2020 ?? – at: http://georgesworldonthewater.blogspot.com/2020/05/deja-vu-1968-2020.html – I think that things could get a lot worse and the Key Issue – could get lost in this.
john,
“here’s no room for the loan leader anymore; However, that’s not the case for FOLLOWSHIP. It is time we acknowledge that there is no separation between leadership and followship; they are the two sides of the same coin that present a fullness — a whole picture perspective.”
“We cannot be one without being the other if we want to be whole. The most revolutionary thought to keep in mind is that we each possess the essence of both leaders and followers — just as a coin is still a coin, regardless of which side we see.”
“Followship: The surprising secret to high-impact leadership” by Fateme Banishoeib.
The white umbrella man is an agent provocateur. The umbrella is used to identify him as much, so authorities do not arrest him by accident. He had a black sidekick with him, and both were caught on video several times during the protests.
Umbrella man was initially identified as a cop for Saint Paul PD, but they denied it was him. However, they provided no evidence to support his whereabouts. So, more to be revealed…
I would suggest that Erik Prince and Project Veritas be thoroughly investigated since these violent acts wreak of the deception they’ve been committing for years and getting sued over. I wonder where these guys/gals learned the art of “counterintelligence.”
This is classic espionage taken right out of the pages of a CIA handbook which has been mastering their craft since the beginning of the VietNam War and used to overturn government regimes across the globe.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/07/us/politics/erik-prince-project-veritas.html
Sorry for the missing “T.”
George,
Your nightmare is very real. There is still REAL HOPE, but it is slipping away, more and more, every day. Our only chance, at this late date, is to try to understand those outstanding Germans and a few others in Europe during the Nazi era: Shulte, Rauschning, Oster, Reuter, Brandt, Bonhoeffer, Forester, Cassirer, Bloch, and especially Hans Litten, the German, half-Jewish attorney, who subpoenaed Adoph Hitler into Court, which, understandably, cost him his life.
This is, definitely, not a game for the “faint of heart.”
Welcome to broken society. It’s like a broken window, it’s not each piece that is broken it’s that all of the pieces are separate, no longer together in a functional whole.
There are many forces that broke it but virtually all of them could have been lessened by a competent President and government but instead many were made worse by who we have.
Welcome to Putin’s revenge.
Not that there aren’t more fundamental forces at work that are of the times the most fundamental being humans wandered over the line into an unsustainable population but than avoided responsibility for it and chose nature to remind us who’s in charge of our relationship with mother earth.
Welcome to reality’s revenge.
Folks, we don’t need more conspiracy mongering. We don’t need more name calling and demonizing. We don’t need more vitriol. We gotta fix this country with practical, acceptable community organizing of this country to bring good people together – which is most of us….
Get over it and get to work…it is what it is and needs to be fixed…
Over many years, Donald Trump has become a seemingly, UNTOUCHABLE FOOL. Let me tell you a secret, he’s TOUCHABLE, I know that from the personal experience I gained dating the daughter of Bill Levitt, the multi-millionaire, building tycoon of the ’50s, known through his various Levittowns, while I was an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. Levitt, who is now deceased, and Trump have the same MO: rich daddy, over-rated ego, use of political graft, and “chicken-shit racism.”
They lose it when their MASK OF INVINCIBILITY is removed. That’s from my first-hand experience learned the hard way.
i was reading various news agencies,and WTFs ,seems trump may want to make it a federal law to travel out of atate to commit commercial voilence,er protests. the above comments about infiltrating the masses and setting off a reaction..well not that the cia or fbi havent been availible from time to time..prince, the faster we expose his private army to the masses,along with tiger-swan,,and drones now in support of law enforcement,via the usaf.the better… at least lay a ground work for questioning the issue..my neigborhood was next to race riots as a kid in 65/66 in newark,n.j. my neighborhood,marshall law,natl guard, st police.
no one walked outside after dark, the newark police,brutalized blacks, and the same scenrio again and again.. the issue,how long will it take,before they fight back? i cant imagine its been this long.. Rev,William Barber,has a post on commondreams.org.. he needs to be in the twin cities in person with the mayor,now… trump has lit the fire,and poured fuel to it.
the reaction of any white revolt,wont be a civil war, it will be murder,allowed..
the best answer,stop the violence,and set a tone of peace, hopefully we can join with the masses,peacefully,in numbers… everyday we could have added to that protests,many more races,many more streets full of voices to march against the hate,and demand our law enforcement become part of a community they now,so called,serve. if they cant monitor their own,then its time for deliberate reform.one trump cant take from,or give away in some tax handout to the wealthy.. mass protests,unlike any before,peaceful.. after all, many are out of work,and we have a long hot summer to november…we can all live better without trumps world.. best wishes..help someone register,and vote…
I find a lot of the Reactionaries on Facebook posting about peace and love and quotes by MLK, left unsaid in the postings is what happened to MLK.
A few years ago Colin Kaepernick took a knee in protest during the national anthem. He said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder”.
Other athletes made similar protests. The backlash from the Reactionary Right was predictable, with all sorts of accusations. The Trumpet along with Pastor Pence were first in line to vilify these peaceful protesting athletes. Instead of conceding, the athletes may have had valid points, the Reactionary Right did what it always does – Attack the Messengers and dismiss the Message.
The contrast in the treatment of George Floyd by the police was in sharp contrast to the way armed thugs were handled when they stormed the Michigan State capital building.
The cop who took a knee on George Floyd’s neck, did so for no reason of safety, he did it because he knew he could and suffer no consequences. The other police stood by and watched and failed to say – Enough is Enough.
Are any of the rest of you considering going downtown with a broom and bags to help sweep up the broken glass of your city?
I contacted the 10 Point Coalition in Indy and left word that I am available to assist them in whatever way I can to quell the violence when the Protesting turns to Rioting! They were stated to be on site in Ft. Wacne on Friday night, have not seen them mentioned to be active in Indy.
In watching the live coverage of the events for the last two nights in Indy, last night there were many phones taking pictures of the “white guy” actively smashing windows of a bank downtown; the night before of a “African American woman” busting out windows on the Wm. H. Blocks condo complex. It is my hope that people who recorded these events, not just the press, will submit their pictures to law authorities so that “vandals and rioters” can be held accountable for the damage they enacted.
While asknowledging that racial injustice definitely exists, and that there is “over the edge” policing in some situations, fighting violence with violence has never proven to be the solution to solve the problems. Especially with the mass prevalence of public ownership and carrying of guns; research supporting the facts of “crowd contagion” of emotional arousal; and groups which seem to be working to overthrow our supposed “liberal democracy”.
When Peaceful Protesting crosses-over to Destructive Rioting, it looks like people, the “you’s” and “I’s” of our country, our cities, begin to burn “our own houses” down. That is called Self Destruction in my book.
The riots we have witnessed in the past are not the same as those we are now experiencing. Those in the past were based, for the most part, on a HOPE for better conditions. So they stopped with some hope.
What we’ve witnessing now is a re-action to a Nazi-like, fascist President. That’s a big difference. There’s not a compelling reason to stop in many, many, minds as they see NO HOPE. Is that hard to understand? Not for me.
Barbara G – thanks! We must not go there – we have the one-time opportunity (in at least, our lifetimes) to Re-Form (in all its possible meanings) our country. Line up; sign on; get actively involved. It it up to WE to save US. (apologies to Pogo).
My longtime companion lived among the Sioux for over 25 years:
“Great spirit, help me never to judge another until I have walked in his mocassins for two weeks.”
~Sioux Indian Prayer
How many of the white, and so-called white, people participating in this blog have walked in the shoes of the African-Americans (for two weeks) who have again taken to the streets to protest the growing, out of control, RACISM.
Per Marv, walking that mile….try this: https://www.povertysimulation.net/
Marv,
true,we have the facists making waves, and the nazis ready to NRA the crowd. im in montana today,with the white folk drivers. they only see rioters, and broken windows..in conversation, not one,mentioned a thing about the abuse of the races,or why,like it doesnt exist,or its not on their minds… trumpian ignorance,and a lack of education in moral ethics,empathy. but then again,they also own the guns,and possible attitudes..
Marv,
got ahead of myself, i have i grew up in a neighborhood,you can see some of it, look for the east orange n.j. police dept on munn ave,on google street view,360. that use to be a bank before it was a p.d. my old school, our lady help of christians, clinton st,same town.. take a tour. Dr.King was alive back then, and i watched the incendents,and broke bread with many.. reality sucks, when your made to live in such dispare and getting out is in itself,could cost ya more..
Barbara G; thank you and kudos for your comments.
Lester,
Thanks for the Poverty Stimulation Idea. Very interesting. However, dealing with and understanding overt RACISM is something you have to experience first hand. And it can be very dangerous, to say the least.
I know jack understands that really well.
Guess what–even Marco Rubio gets it right sometimes. As someone who lives a few blocks from “ground zero” of the riots in Minneapolis, and whose progressive (Ilhan Omar is our U.S. representative), multi-racial working and middle class neighborhood has lost ALL of its businesses (not to mention the public library, the post office, and the police station) I noticed a quote from Rubio which is–in my opinion–the most accurate description of who was involved in destroying the business corridors of my neighborhood that I’ve seen.
He tweeted this morning: 3 groups of people at protests:
1. Peaceful protesters angry at the murder of Mr. Floyd but who have even protected police officers at protests
2. Locals who see the opportunity for wilding
3. Domestic extremists taking advantage of lawful protest to advance their own agenda
From where I’m sitting this seems to be very accurate. Last night the National Guard came in large numbers and stopped the arson. We’ll see what happens tonight.
It’s been very heartening to see dozens of my neighbors descending on Lake Street (the main business street in the neighborhood) with brooms and dustpans to clean up the broken glass. The burned buildings, the majority of which housed small minority owned businesses, are gone forever. The real reason for the demonstrations–racist policing and systemic racism in Minneapolis–has been all but lost as residents of Minneapolis coordinate efforts block by block to try to protect ourselves from the rioters.
There is nothing that can replace long term experience…period. I have worked along the side of the non-white communities for years as an activist. ONLY that experience, where you get to REALLY know people better than your own family, does one’s eyes open to REALITY.
People on here asking for non-violence are, in y opinion, naive. As I have said elsewhere, if I were born black in this country 60 years ago and experienced what they have experienced from lynchings, local White Supremacy groups (and they are EVERYWHERE btw), systematically harassed and murdered by police, mass inequality and being shut out of decent employment opportunities by white owned businesses, etc, etc, etc,….guess what? I would have GONE POSTAL decades ago!!! I am being totally honest.
White privilege means, first and foremost, NEVER having to experience what others go through in the long term. Many commenting on here need to check in with themselves when speaking about the “luxury” of non-aggression. In other words, Dr. King Jr. was STILL murdered in this country doing non-violence. Oh, and equally a big point, Dr. king probably would not have lasted a week in early Nazi brown shirt Germany. CONTEXT in history is EVERYTHING. So let’s be REAL about our perspectives and the perspectives of others and NOT ASSUME we could do thing differently.
Bradford,
Right on brother! I agree with you 100%. I look at the comparisons, but right now, this current atmosphere is so much more volatile, or could be more volatile considering what’s available to a lot of these individuals as far as access to the world pulpit so to speak. And then, conflict that could spiral out of control and annihilate the entire planet. Gunpowder won’t blow up this planet, but nuclear weapons will!
And, I actually believe that this president, this POTUS is dumb enough to think he could survive something like that! Maybe him and Elon musk have a secret starship squirreled away somewhere, lol!
But, from my readings and studies, this has been prophesied to happen! The immense image in Daniel, and all that was related to it. amongst other prophecies but that’s the one that I love the imagery of. Then we have the various beasts and other prophecies, which confused some if you’re not familiar with how scripture uses the imagery. Anyway Bradford, good points man, you nailed it.
Any analysis that involves Trump executing a brilliant strategy to cause a backlash against the protesters in order to help himself politically is almost certainly wrong. If Trump has proven anything over the years, it is that he is incredibly stupid. And, no, he is not even smart politically. Think about it…when the economy was booming and Covid-19 was not on the horizon, Trump’s popularity was in the tank and he was losing most head-to-head matchups polls against Democrats. Any other Republican would have had 60% plus approval rating if not 70% and be well ahead in the head-to-head polls.
Trump was handed a golden opportunity to improve his popularity with a modestly competent Covid-19 response and to act (at least ACT) with empathy. Governors across the country, Republicans and Democrats, did that and their popularity soared. Instead, Trump missed every political opportunity with Covid-19 and shot himself in the foot whenever possible. Nope, Trump is not a smart person or a smart politician. He is not playing 4-dimensional chess. He is playing checkers and losing…badly.
Jack,
Excellent observations and excellent back and forth with Marv! You have an interesting insight because of you being a ramblin Man so to speak. you get a chance to see it all on a personal basis one-on-one all across the country. You have some really good insight!
My brother Marv,
Sorry I was incommunicado for a while, I was out pruning the trees and then we had a covid-19 safe baby shower drive-by, that was interesting and quite enjoyable actually. This was for a Young African-American family that had another one on the way, a young family that we care greatly about. The little girls were all dressed in their long gowns handing out favors to people still in their cars while we were handing the gifts out the window to their father putting them on the table by the road. Very creative and what an image!
Contrast this with what’s going on around the country SMH, doesn’t make any sense. you know what’s going on, I know what’s going on, but I don’t think the world is really getting the entire gist of the situation.
VERY good article on “images” of protest written by a professor of Journalism. Excellent read.
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2020/5/29/21274891/george-floyd-cop-arrested-minneapolis-breonna-taylor
PS- Thanks for the positive note John Sorg. As for biblical prophecy being interpreted as “predicting the future,” I am not a believer. I think those biblical passages/books are written in and for “their times,” NOT for some long distant future. My opinion of course. Peace.
john,
“Contrast this with what’s going on around the country SMH, doesn’t make any sense. you know what’s going on, I know what’s going on, but I don’t think the world is really getting the entire gist of the situation.”
If two-party politics, NGOs, and the media can’t admit to the depth of this out of control situation, there is no way the rest of the world can get a handle on it. It’s like dealing with a deadly cancer without having the aid of an MRI or any other diagnostic device.
This catastrophe isn’t being caused by mistakes, but intentional “G-d forsaken acts” by those both on the Right and the Left. Will we ever wise up? Like you, I see nothing on the horizon for any optimism.
john,
The White community can run away from the RACIAL problem, whereas the Black community, for the most part, doesn’t have that luxury. To me, that’s the crux of the dilemma we’re now having to face and it will only become more and more acute in the months leading up to the November election if there will be one, which I wouldn’t bet on. Fascists usually don’t see the necessity for things like that.