Part One: The Events And The Cost
On May 25th an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was unnecessarily and unmercifully murdered by an experienced Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer with two inexperienced junior officers watching close by.
The cell phone video of this event, taken by a bystander, immediately went viral, creating a firestorm of outrage in the black community of Minneapolis and throughout the nation.
What has transpired since in our major cities has been a combination of legitimate and understandable protests. However, what followed as the sun went down and curfews were ignored, was unfettered violence, lawlessness, looting, anarchy, and even complicity by our Governors, Mayors, City Councils, City Attorneys, and Police Chiefs.
Law abiding Americans who were likewise appalled at the murder of George Floyd, watched uncontrolled riots, at least 11 murders, and destruction of both private and public property by out-of-control and predominantly black mobs in 27 states.
Police seemed unprepared and in many cases, unwilling to quell the lawlessness. We later learned that Governors, Mayors, City Councils, City Attorneys and Police Chiefs were complicit in the ‘stand downs’ leaving the police disabled to do their jobs and private business owners bearing the brunt of lawless looters and rioters.
The ongoing financial cost of this unhinged lawlessness to innocent and law abiding business owners and their families, city governments, police departments, local communities, and state and federal government agencies is in the millions.
The emotional and life changing cost to those who lost loved ones to senseless murders, and business owners who helplessly watched their businesses destroyed by looters and rioters, is being ignored, aided and abetted by elected and un-elected officials who tacitly restrain the police and loose the arrested either out of fear or misguided sympathy with the rioter’s calls for change.
In either case, these officials failed their sworn duty to uphold the laws by which they were sworn to uphold, including the safety of those they were elected and hired to serve.
Who will pay for these costs?
Those who committed the crimes under the cover of a “protest”, are not likely to be required or even able to pay in dollars, but hopefully, by days, months, and years in prison if law enforcement, prosecutors and judges do their jobs. Those costs will be born by the tax payers of those cities, counties, and states where the lawlessness and crimes occurred, whether they feel safe, secure, or confident in their elected officials or not. The price goes far, far beyond the obvious.
What alarms most Americans including law abiding blacks, is the lack of commitment by Governors, Mayors, Police Chiefs, Commissioners, and other elected or appointed officials to take strong and determined action to uphold the law, stop the violence, arrest and punish the evildoers, and protect their citizens from such lawlessness. “WHY is this lack of commitment happening?”
In Part Two of Rhetoric and Reality, I will address this question. The answer, if not properly and wisely addressed by our elected leaders in the next 4 months, will be addressed by the voters on November 3rd.
Please pass this Three Part Series along to friends, associates, pastors and local officials as Part 2 and 3 come to you in the days ahead.
Compare The Democrat And Republican Platforms
Ensuring the Oregon Legislature comes under Citizen Control
As Oregonians prepare to Vote in the Nov. 3rd General Election, Restore America will continue to draw attention to the reasons the current Oregon Legislature must be changed, and how that can be done. Please forward our Commentaries, Updates, Alerts, and links to friends, associates, state representatives and local leaders throughout the state. We need your active involvement and financial assistance to inform the electorate of Salem’s excesses, throughout the Summer and Fall months before the General Election.
Taking Back The Oregon Legislature House District By House District
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