I can't say I'm pleased with the riots, either; it hurts uninvolved third parties and it gives those who oppose reform a means of diverting attention from the injustice that led to the protests in the first place. What worries me is that such calls for nonviolence may ultimately prove futile--or even that nonviolent protests will not succeed in bringing about change as they did in Dr. King's time. Dr. King wrote in his semi-famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail that his movement sought to be a middle ground between those who did nothing due to belief that the cause was futile and those who turned to violence due to belief that nonviolent resistance would not achieve results. He worried that "if [his movement's] white brothers dismiss as 'rabble rousers' and 'outside agitators' those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts," people within the movement would lose faith in nonviolent resistance and turn to violence. Thankfully, Dr. King's movement ultimately succeeded, and so the question of what he and his movement would have done if nonviolent resistance didn't achieve results remains a matter of unprovable speculation.

I worry that this time around, too many people have lost faith in peaceful protests. Nonviolent protests of such incidents as the death of George Floyd have thus far failed to get governments and police forces to enact meaningful changes to the way police treat black people. I remember how loathed Colin Kaepernick and others who knelt during the national anthem were for their disruptive behavior. I recall seeing people complaining about how "die-ins" that blocked highways were disrupting people's livelihoods. These were acts that did not turn violent, yet they have not brought about meaningful change. Those who oppose reform will always search for an excuse for the government to not listen to protesters. If it's not because the protests turn violent, it's because the protests are simply disruptive. This is part and parcel of protesting injustice, but just about everyone has a breaking point, and the longer reform takes, the less effective nonviolence will appear. Amadou Diallo was shot dead by police more than twenty years ago, and that's just off the top of my head. I don't say this to argue that the riots are necessary (though I am sadly at the point at which I can no longer rule out the possibility), but rather to attempt to explain why people might be losing faith in peaceful protest.

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Yeah, the riots were ineviatable since people complained about the peaceful protests anyway, as you mentioned with Kaepernick kneeling to the anthem. TBH I'm all for the riots bringing down conservative monuments and police stations as long as they stay away from small businesses that are already struggling amongst COVID. Unfortunatley, a lot of the riots are also sparked by people who don't care so much for the protest at hand, but are just looking for the opportunity to cause anarchy or steal things. Many of the protesters themselves are remaining peaceful (but I don't judge actual protestors for rioting given the circumstances since police seem to be firing first in many cases). Hopefully they can get a reform of the police system someway or the other.

I don't know that people are losing faith in peaceful protests. It's true there has been rioting, and police spraying/tear-gassing those who are only standing there with signs. Despite this, people continue to hold peaceful protests. Maybe it's because there are also law enforcement members who are listening and standing next to the people.

A lot of strange findings have turned up at these protests too... I've seen videos of people deliberately handing out bricks to protesters or leaving piles of bricks in an area protesters would be, as well as police apparently instructing nonprotesters to put BLM graffiti on store windows. (Edit: Well, now that I've posted this, I see the brick pile thing is being mostly debunked, ha. Sorry about that.) People, at least, protesters are recognizing it isn't a good thing to be armed with bricks during a peaceful protest. And of course, there have been reports of provocateurs smashing windows as people protested. Maybe some of it is set up, maybe some of it not. One thing's for sure. Unlike 50, 60 years ago, there are cameras everywhere today, and news will travel faster than lightning speed, in the good sense and bad. Also, most Americans are fed up with a lot of shit right now, including the pandemic, massive unemployment and the abysmal leadership. Some have a lot of time on their hands for various reasons, and right when the idiot-in-chief is pushing for states to reopen.

Obviously, I can't predict the outcome of these protests, and cannot say whether rioting will continue or not, or to what degree. This is just one person's opinion, and maybe I'm being optimistic, but I feel like things are at a tipping point. I wouldn't count the American people out just yet.

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How tolerant of you.

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you are a hero

I AM SO SICK AND FUCKING TIRED OF MY MOM WASTING ALL THE FUCKING ICE CUBES AND THEN MAKING ME MAKE MORE WHEN SHE'S THE ONE USING THEM ALL UP AND SHE LITERALLY HAS NO FUCKING EXCUSE SHE DOESN'T HAVE A FUCKING JOB RIGHT NOW I MADE MORE THIS MORNING AND NOW SHE'S ASKING ME TO MAKE MORE SHE'S DEFINITELY USING TOO MUCH AT THIS POINT

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Maybe if you ask her Nicely she'll not be so lazy, just giving her the cold shoulder doesn't seem to work.

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She never listens to a fucking thing I say. It's not going to work.

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