Lets revisit the statistics a little.
12.7% of the population in the US is black.
Death by Police Shooting
Year White Black %Black Deaths
2017 457 223 32.8%
2018 399 209 34.3%
2019 370 235 38.8%
2020 (so far) 42 31 42.5%
The numbers ain’t good.
I support the police and they have a very difficult job. They are in a very difficult position right now and I’ve seen a lot of situations where they’ve conducted themselves with honor and integrity.
But I’ve also seen the videos. Tamir Rice, a 12 year old with an air soft gun. The police officer drove right up on top of him, jumped out of the car and shot him within a few seconds. Or Walter Scott, who the officer calmly shot in the back when he ran from a minor traffic violation. Now George Floyd. And all the others. Some justified. Some clearly not. Watch the videos - something is wrong here.
People talk about white privilege but not being harassed by the police is not my privilege. It’s my right. My inalienable right, endowed by my creator. Take that away from me and there’s going to be a problem. Minorities just expect the same rights; why should they not as American citizens?
Destroying a car dealership is a criminal act but I look at it two ways. One, criminals do acts like this and that’s why we have police and the courts. But two, desperate people who have lost hope also commit these acts. That doesn’t make it right and they should be held accountable, but it’s just reality. When someone feels beaten down, they will lash out with whatever they can.
Which is it in this case? I don’t know, probably some of both. I don’t condone it but I try to understand what makes a person do this. Our country was founded by rioters and looters if you ask King George III but we felt rightfully justified. We even wrote it down:
https://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
I hate what I am seeing go on in my country, our country, right now. I don’t have the answers but I know I am tired of seeing people beaten or dying.
We have a right to peaceful protest. We do not have a right to destroy property. The lines blur between right and wrong and we are left to try to make sense out of it. To make sense out of ALL that has happened.
I’ve said a lot, especially about a subject like this on a car forum, but overall I’ve been trying to talk less and listen more. Put myself in someone else’s shoes for a minute or two before I go back to my regular, blessed and comfortable life. That’s all anyone really wants. Life. Liberty. Happiness.