<p>CNN’s Saturday morning anchor, Victor Blackwell, said it out loud. In signing off from his broadcast, he implored the nation to not look at the burning cars, homes and business – not to focus on the rioting and looting. He said we should focus on the underlying problem.</p>
<p>He is correct that there is an underlying problem – and probably intertwined with a complex series of underlying problems cutting in all directions. But, Blackwell would have us myopically focus on white police brutality against black males as the ONLY issue, while ignoring violent crimes against innocent people. Certainly, police conduct is an issue worthy of exploring. But there are a LOT of related issues.</p>
<p>Even worse, Blackwell would dismiss the excessive, violent and criminal behavior that too often stems from such incidents. We are to forgive – or even overlook – the looter, the arsonist and even an occasional murderer in some malignant devotion to Blackwell’s version of social justice.</p>
<p>When Blackwell sees a burning car or building, he seems to see only unfortunate outrage of a wronged people. He excuses and justifies their violent rioting as some sort of natural result of oppression, frustration and anger. Typical left-wing thinking.</p>
<p>Ironically, as a black man, Blackwell fails to see the folks – most black – being impacted by the street violence. He seems to have a heartless disregard for the victims of the criminal violence – the young black firefighter, the entrepreneur who lost everything when his business was destroyed and the young black family that is now homeless.</p>
<p>Unlike Blackwell, Atlanta’s black Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms struck the correct balance. While she appropriately condemned the killing of George Floyd, she also unleashed her anger at those turning the streets of her city into a war zone. In a very emotional statement, she said, “This is not a protest. This is not in the spirit of Martin Luther King. This is chaos.”</p>
<p>At that point, she literally screamed this message to the rioters.</p>
<p><em>“You are a disgrace to our city. You are a disgrace to the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. We are better than that. We are better than that as a city. We are better than that as a country. GO HOME!”</em></p>
<p>Like the label on the medicine bottle, one of the risks of criminal behavior is … death. If you get into a confrontation with police while stealing, burning, looting or shooting … you might get killed. And in any just society, if the unfortunate choice is between the potential death of an innocent citizen and a lawbreaker, It should not be a difficult choice.</p>
<p>I am not speaking of George Floyd. He did not deserve to die. In that case, the alleged criminal was wearing a blue uniform. I am a total extremist on exercising our right of assembly and free speech. Those are not the issues. It is just that violent criminal behavior should NEVER be mistaken for legitimate protest. It must be considered and treated like any other crimes of that nature. No cause justifies the crime.</p>
<p>Blackwell represents typical left-wing thinking. Do not arrest the looters and arsonists. Understand them. If arrested, drop all charges – as has been the custom in too many cases. It is okay to toss rocks and Molotov Cocktails at police. Accept the abuse as just an expression of free speech.</p>
<p>The Blackwell approach will ensure that future black neighborhoods will be destroyed whenever a racial incident arises – real or perceived.</p>
<p>The death of George Floyd is a tragedy – and by all observation, he was the victim of a heinous crime by one or more police officers. Justice should be brought to bear. But the perpetrator has been arrested, the process is on the move. All the demonstrations, riots, carnage, looting and injury are for naught.</p>
<p>If millionaire anchor Blackwell were sitting in is home as a violent gang of thugs, arsonists and looters were descending on his property and loved ones, would he praise them for the sense of social justice – or even excuse them? I doubt it. I think he would be praying for the arrival of the police.</p>
<p>Fortunately for Blackwell, his wealth and prominence insulate him from what is happing to the folks in the Democrat-controlled ghettoes. He can pontificate the liberal gospel of acceptable violence. He just does not have to experience it. So typical of the limousine liberal community.</p>
<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>