Mass looting in LA, building on fire in Washington DC

[God Control 2,181]

29 minutes ago, JRCF29 said:

I don’t know why it’s suddenly become so controversial to criticize the looting and rioting?  You can support accountability and justice for George Floyd, support holding bad cops accountable, support thoroughly investigating the murder in Minnesota (including charging the cops that just stood around), and yes you can oppose white supremacy and denounce it as a foolish, anachronistic, and Un-American  movement and concept WHILE AT THE SAME TIME being concerned about department stores and small businesses being broken into, vandalized, set on fire, and oppose the destruction of police precincts and police cars in the name of “justice for George Floyd”
 

Being opposed to racism and police brutality doesn’t mean you have to support violent riots, and vice-versa

You will NEVER, and I mean NEVER get your rights if you don’t fight for them, especially when you see your people getting killed. Looting is one thing but violent protests where people flat out rebel against authority and cause chaos is something that happens all over the world, throughout all of history when you’ve run out of ways to make a difference.

People don’t just rebel because it’s a nice vacation, they do so because they’re damn sure that this authority and system will NEVER work in their best interest.

[JRCF29 8,230]

Watching livestream now, looks like the big fire is out 

[Bebe 17,289]

1 hour ago, Monsterabriel said:

They're using the mans death as an excuse to do wrong, which is disrespectful as f*ck, MLK would not stand for this!

In MLK's own words:

"I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. In the final analysis, the riot is the language of the unheard. What is it that America has failed to hear? In a sense, our nation's summers of riots are caused by our winter’s delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these occurrences of riots and violence over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”

I don't think anybody is happy that looting and violence is occurring, but why is it happening? Attempts where made of peaceful protest and this is the response they received:

 

POC where told that they were "disrespectful" and extremist and they continued to be harassed, brutalised and murdered.

As MLK wisely said decades ago, the riot is the language of the unheard and if we want the riots and looting to stop then we need social justice and progress. The reaction by these rioters of anger, violence, frustration and mourning is a reaction to lifetimes of violence, discrimination and harassment directed towards them. It's a reaction against the apathy of the government and American public who do not treat their pain and the loss of life with the urgent concern it deserves and instead react with more vitriol against their communities. 

[Chromatica Island 8,517]

6 minutes ago, Bebe said:

In MLK's own words:

"I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. In the final analysis, the riot is the language of the unheard. What is it that America has failed to hear? In a sense, our nation's summers of riots are caused by our winter’s delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these occurrences of riots and violence over and over again. Social justice and progress are the absolute guarantors of riot prevention.”

I don't think anybody is happy that looting and violence is occurring, but why is it happening? Attempts where made of peaceful protest and this is the response they received:

 

POC where told that they were "disrespectful" and extremist and they continued to be harassed, brutalised and murdered.

As MLK wisely said decades ago, the riot is the language of the unheard and if we want the riots and looting to stop then we need social justice and progress. The reaction by these rioters of anger, violence, frustration and mourning is a reaction to lifetimes of violence, discrimination and harassment directed towards them. It's a reaction against the apathy of the government and American public who do not treat their pain and the loss of life with the urgent concern it deserves and instead react with more vitriol against their communities. 

There are innocent lives of all races being ruined because of this, I just don't like seeing this, it really depresses me, 2020 has been a hard year for me, I am almost in tears.  

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate...Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

[Bebe 17,289]

2 minutes ago, Monsterabriel said:

There are innocent lives of all races being ruined because of this, I just don't like seeing this, it really depresses me, 2020 has been a hard year for me, I am almost in tears.  

“The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate...Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

― Martin Luther King Jr.

Reasonable people don't like to see violence - there are not many people happy to see riots, looting and violence. The reason people are angry and protesting in the first place is against violence and hatred.

Keeping the discussion at "looting is bad!" is a dumbing down of the conversation though. It's not a brave position to hold, it's something the vast majority overwhelmingly agrees with. If we want the violence to end, and avoid repeating, we should be focusing on the reasons behind the violence and solutions to resolve the violence. 

We should be talking about the institutionalised racism that was behind the murder, by police, of yet another unarmed black man and how we can dismantle the racist systems and attitudes that are behind the violence.

We should be talking about the erasure of black voices, lack of political support and representation, the dismissal of black issues that has led to these riots and how to resolve these issues.

Saying "Please don't burn and loot!" isn't the solution and I'm sure you and everyone else focusing on the riots has more to contribute than that.

[Aphrodizy26 6]

2 hours ago, Morphine Prince said:

Most people are peaceful but it seems like violence is what makes people open their eyes.

Y'all didn't like it when they knelt, so now you will see it escalate to something worse.

All the bystanders and racists: This is your creation. 

I appreciate you’re one of the very few they listen to on here. Continue to always speak up.

[Gagas lil monster 2,432]

2 hours ago, ThatSLAYGUY said:

You all realise Stonewall was a riot right? 
The gay rights movement was heavily pushed forward after looting and riots.

When they stop looting black lives, that’s when they should stop looting. 

Not condoning violence, but Black America is fed up and they f***ing should be. 

Sorry sweetie no. Looting innocent businesses does nothing except WRONGFULLY, and I mean WRONGFULLY put a bad image to those of colour. Destroying shops not only physically and mentally hurts innocent people it also leaves innocent people unemployed. Anyone who thinks that the violence of the protests that are going on are extremely twisted. And tjose commiting them are just as bad the white people who have done the same