Is ‘Bullying’ Okay if You Say You’re a Protester?

What some people consider to be protesting, others experience as bullying or worse (i.e., domestic terrorism).

Some of the residents of a quiet residential neighborhood in Portland, OR, were likely unsettled recently when they were visited one night by hundreds of so-called “protesters.”

At least, “protesters” is what The New York Times called them.

They were supposedly protesting police brutality and seeking support from residents of the largely white residential neighborhood.

But they looked more like an invading army. They were uniformly clad in black garb, wearing motorcycle helmets and masks that hid their faces. Some wore body armor. Others had tool belts containing an array of ominous looking paraphernalia.

The NYT reports the “protesters” stopped at a house where an American flag was on display in the yard. They demanded the owner take the flag down and, when he refused, threatened to return later and burn down the house.

By calling them protesters, the NYT accorded them a legitimacy that many legitimate protesters of police brutality would not.

Continue reading “Is ‘Bullying’ Okay if You Say You’re a Protester?”

Civil Unrest In The Context Of The Pandemic

What is really causing civil unrest in America? 

No intelligent person of any race is defending the cruel death of George Floyd at the hands of police for passing a $20 forged bill. The police officer who allegedly is responsible for Floyd’s death was swiftly arrested, charged with murder, and placed behind bars. His cohorts are not far behind him. The system worked as it should.

Race discrimination still exists but any objective barometer shows the problem is far less severe today.

There have been tremendous advances in policing since the 1960s when the U.S. Congress passed the nation’s major anti-discrimination laws. The last vestiges of the era of Jim Crow are gone. Race discrimination is no longer legal. Where it persists, legal avenues exist to address it. Continue reading “Civil Unrest In The Context Of The Pandemic”