Wash. Rinse. Repeat

CNN mouthpiece Wolf Blitzer looked at the urban unrest in Baltimore this week and claimed that it was “hard to believe” that he was seeing looting in the streets of America so long after the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.  

Really, Wolf?

As if he had never seen Ferguson last year, or Atlanta, Los Angeles, St. Petersburg, Miami, Detroit, or the Watts riots like all of the rest of the people of his age did.  Urban unrest occurs as frequently as geographically related economic and employment downturns because they walk hand-in-hand.  When people are starving and deprived of things that they need (Maslov’s Hierarchy of Needs) and want for a significant period of time, they will react to the situation.  And, if the situation provides a powerless and voiceless human with an opportunity to take what she thinks she needs (like diapers and baby formula), she will boost that stuff in a second.

I do not condone looting, stealing or damaging property. This is lawless. This is a crime. This is a time at which families should ask the perpetrators “how did you get that?”  Looting is not an issue-related protest.  It is a different kind of protest.

There are only a few kinds of protest.  There is a peaceful, issue-specific, active protest like marching and chanting.  There is a peaceful, inactive protest like a sit-in or a die-in.  Then, there is an active, violent protest that has nothing to do with any specific situation that speaks volumes about a localized powder keg that was ignited by the factors that created it.  Welcome to the riot.

Writer Saul Williams said:  “Legislation won't necessarily start a riot. But the right song can make someone pick up a chair.”

In Baltimore, the song included lyrics about Freddie Gray, “nickel rides,” 35 percent African American male unemployment ,high, high poverty rates, and systemic police brutality against anyone who isn't White.  One cannot legislate common sense, and justice seldom enters into the mixing of the legislative sausage.

So, today, news agencies are aiding in the finger-pointing in the great state of Maryland.  The (Black) mayor of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), allegedly was “late” in identifying a problem. (Not).  The (White) governor of Maryland, Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Hogan, Jr. (R) , said that he signed an executive order “immediately” to involve National Guards as soon as she requested additional aid in her city.  Later, Governor Hogan made it seem as if a riot should have been foreseeable when all of the previous reactions to police brutality were peaceful.

White on Black.  Republican against Democrat.  White on Black.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Black lives matter.

All lives matter.

Stop it.