I planned to start my blog on June 1, with a post about me, and the schedule of my blog. But like many with the best laid plans of 2020, things happened. On Wednesday I will make the post I had originally planned on today.
Currently there is the public upheaval over the tragedy of George Floyd. I am not where violence is taking place, but am familiar with some of the places that have been in the news. Places that give back to the community are being threatened, and in some cases destroyed. A truck drove into protestors.
My heart aches for everyone who has been hurt. I hope no other lives are lost. The pain is going to be most felt by those already hurting. Large chains probably have insurance. Small businesses most likely don’t. The people who work in those places probably can’t afford to lay low for a bit or lose their job. Right now this is a crisis, and during a crisis you try to make it through with as little damage as possible. When the crisis is over, is the time to figure out what exactly happened and how to prevent it in the future.
While I have not been to the protests, I have serious doubts about the narrative that people got out of control and protests turned violent. Impromptu riots usually result in broken windows, overturned cars, and maybe trash cans lit on fire. The large scale arson– against places that serve the community– does not strike me as an impulse. Neither does a rig driving at high speed into a crowd. That being said, there is still a lot of chaos and maybe more information will come to light. Two things can be true at the same time. Police can be reacting violently to peaceful protestors, and those with malevolent intentions can be trying to bring chaos.
2020 is the year we have seen our weaknesses. First we saw the Covid pandemic, which has cost lives and livelihoods. Things that have been hidden have been exposed, and the weakest link in the chain has been broken. We’ll probably see more of this, and I don’t think things are going back to normal. We don’t choose the times, but we choose what we do in them.
For now, I hope everyone stays safe. I hope people find comfort in their gods and their families, and may the country come out of this stronger and better.