Muzzles Not Masks

Did any elected official get it right? The mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was better than most (with the support of Killer Mike.)

Eustace C. Scrubb (View Comment):

Did any elected official get it right? The mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was better than most (with the support of Killer Mike.)

In a time when leaders across the land seem incapable of leading against lawlessness, I'm all in favor of encouragement toward any exceptions. Yet, after a quick search, I did see this.

The Atlanta protest started peacefully earlier than it descended into chaos when some demonstrators hurled bricks, bottles and milk cartons at police cruisers.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms slammed their actions at a press convention Friday, saying: ‘If you care about this metropolis then go house.’

Excerpt from:
Donald Trump appears to gloat about riot at CNN’s Atlanta HQ as he retweets supporter’s post
By Jackson Delong -May 30, 2020

That article has plenty of pictures of burning police cars and vandalized buildings. What I would like to know is to what extent she (or any other mayors) acted forcefully to stop the looting and vandalizing (distinct from legal peaceful protest).

Or, did they mostly...

...step "into national spotlight with passionate plea to protesters"?

"Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stepped into the national spotlight on Friday night, denouncing vandalism in her city as "chaos" after demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, ..."

"Bottoms was joined at the news conference ..., as she mixed empathy with anger and pleaded with protesters to "go home.""

"... she is trying to strike the right balance between recognizing the movement that is happening while also trying to maintain law and order in her city amid the unrest.

"This has been a really tough balance because I feel helpless. I feel angry. I feel frustrated," the mayor explained."

Excerpts from
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms steps into national spotlight with passionate plea to protesters

I'm not encouraged when a mayor feels "helpless" and finds there is something "really tough" about "trying to strike the right balance between" lawful peaceful protest and putting down lawless actions.

Enforce the law, including protecting lawful assembly and speech. Prosecute illegal actions. Why is this distinction "really tough"?

"You're right, but..."

Echoing that sentiment from James, I've been listening to The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and now of course am a certified expert on all things historical. Not to compare modern circumstances to Weimar Germany, but...

The rise of the Nazis can be summed up in a sentence: Few people took evil seriously.

Few believed the Nazis could achieve power, even after decades of impressive gains both politically and socially. Hitler was arrested for insurrection but was sentenced to just 5 years of the usual life imprisonment. They were tolerated, excused, and negotiated with time and again. Nazis' evil was written and spoken in public for easy consideration from the beginning.

Villains promised to destroy or silence their opponents, to seize wealth and corporations, to fundamentally transform society... and were not believed. Or else they were dismissed as a mere frustration, even upon gaining millions of votes, because it was assumed life would continue basically as before.

As someone who did not live during the 1960s, I am concerned.

Seeing many cities burn with assistance from organized groups, with cover from press and politicians who speak in revolutionary terms in favor of seizing wealth and power, in an election year while Democrats have disputed the validity of the past two elections of Republican presidents, while the Left's domination of education, entertainment, and corporate leadership have millions of citizens repeating nonsense and angrily cursing their conservative neighbors as privileged bigots who owe the proletariat reparations, while the President is popularly portrayed as a brutal dictator ready to pounce, during an unprecedented simultaneous disruption of the entire world, under extraordinary public restrictions and widespread fears — there does indeed seem to be real danger of revolution in the old French Revolution sense of wild destruction.

If your looking for more interesting things to watch,

Land of Confusion the Ricochet show for members by the members is here. This week we talk to Boss Mongo about all sorts of things, including the riots. As an ex special forces officer he had lots to say.

Aaron Miller (View Comment):

“You’re right, but…”

That would also seem to "suggest" that people who just can't bring themselves to vote for Trump in November if only to keep Biden out of the White House, might be part of the problem.