For those unaware of modern day protesting, it has gone high tech with lasers and low tech with umbrellas. The lasers confuse any vision that could identify the protesters. It is unfortunate protesters are not proud of their arrests, which should be resisted (Never make it easy for a protester to be arrested. Fight and live for another day.), as a badge of honor to their allegiance to equality, justice and life. It used to be judges would treat protesting as a traffic violation and issue $50.00 fines of which the person would be released. Lasers can be dangerous resulting in harm and a far different arrest with prison as a result, not just a $50 fine. Back in the day protesters could have patrons that would pay their $50.00 fine if they could not pay it themselves.
The umbrella became a useful tool, but, not to break windows. In Asia the favorite anti-protest methods are fire hoses and water cannons. No guns. Hence, the umbrella. Protesters would act together and open their umbrellas in unison to thwart the sprayed water. It was resistance and diminished the water pressure enough to allow them to stand their ground.
The looting is unfortunate and if caught on camera in or out of the store could result in legal problems. I don’t remember ever hearing an interview with a person that looted a store. I imagine there are many reasons like poverty, having food while protesting and as simple as just being a part of the protest to make shop owners, police and politicians feel the pain.
There is one time I remember someone talking about looting a liquor store. I think it was LA. Minority communities entrenched in poverty are food desserts and lack cohesive social contact except for church so men drank to become drunk. Pain kills to make it through the day. Wives, children or roommates hated the drinking, but, had no real tools to stop it. So with the opportunity to destroy the local liquor store where outside single cigarettes were sold regularly the destruction was carried out. At least the store wouldn’t open soon and community members had a chance to dry out.
Life goes on in poverty. It just doesn’t go on the way it does in other Middle Class and wealthy neighborhoods. The pain of poverty manifests behaviors and values alien to our country’s values. The word segregation comes to mind. I believe the ideal American neighborhood is diverse of race, color, creed and economic income with children that grow up in school caring about each other. The poor are always segregated with no hope for themselves or their children.
We can do better than this.
