There’s plywood on city streets
When I initially scanned the stories, I thought that it was in response to some civil unrest that I was unaware of. As the days went by, I noticed these articles began increasing, not only in Denver, but also around the country. Plywood stacked on downtown sidewalks was becoming a common occurrence.
Why?
Business owners said they couldn’t take another economic hit like they did during this past summer’s riots and looting. Storefront windows smashed, merchandise stolen, commercial properties in ruin – a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice obliterated in the span of a few minutes by an angry mob.
The palpable fear is this: Tuesday’s election will surely bring about another round of violence and unrest to our urban business corridors. Based on events across the nation this summer, I can’t blame the storeowners – small, medium, or large.
No other time in my life would I have thought this probable.
- That’s why we have police officers
- That’s why we have laws
- That’s why we have judicial systems
- That’s why we have penitentiaries
I don’t care whom you voted for
I don’t care what you believe in. I don’t care what you’ve been through. Anybody who thinks it’s OK to set ablaze some local mom & pop eatery because his or her candidate didn’t get elected is an incorrigible, self-indulgent a__hole! You’re just another pile of excrement that deeply deserves a little old school social justice.
Of course our law enforcement officers have been largely neutered by the media message that they’re a mindless mass of marauding murderers. The “freedom fighters” storm police precincts with the intent to burn them to the ground. Marked patrol cars are flipped over and torched. Officers are injured and killed.
And the police flee?
There was a day, not so long ago, actions such as these earned you a free butt whopping by the men and women in blue, at the least. At the most, you earned the posthumous respect from like-minded miscreants.
And we expect the police to protect us when we send the clear message they’re not allowed to defend themselves, their buildings, or their vehicles?
In no way would I deter speaking out, the right to assembly, or any other peaceful protests
- That’s our constitutional right
- That’s what we’re afforded as Americans
- That’s what our veterans served, fought, and died for
- That’s what the Supreme Court has upheld time and again, regardless of the president that nominated them
And guess who’s on the streets making sure we’re allowed to lawfully voice our opinions?
THE POLICE. And that’s whether they agree with us or not.
Our responsibility and duty as Americans is to encourage people’s voices to be heard, as well as championing our own viewpoints. What if you disagree with another’s perspective?
- Debate it
- Write about it
- Passionately challenge them
- Run for office
- Get off your ass and do something productive
Break into a business, trash it, loot it, and burn it to the ground? If that’s your answer, you are just another small-time crook with little ability to effectuate any real change in the world other than inflict misery on undeserving people.
To be blunt, when I hear “no justice, no peace”, I think “FU”! Do you really believe burning down a restaurant promotes meaningful reform? You’re best result will be a political knee-jerk reaction to garner a politician poll points. You’re as dumb as that brick you just threw into the window.
It’s OK to disagree with me
You’re not going to hurt my feelings. I welcome dissenting opinions. Who knows, we may even discover common ground.
I sincerely hope that all of the plywood going up across our nation will end up as useless as Y2K ration storage twenty years ago.
Jesus Christ said love your enemies. MLK, Jr. said violence was impractical and immoral. John Lennon sang “Give Peace A Chance”. No justice, no peace? Have you really given peace a chance?