It amazes me to see little old ladies and nerdy old guys who
obviously have the good fortune to never have had to defend themselves from a
bad guy, drinking the Kool Aid; naively chanting that “the whole damn system
can go to hell” and marching next to the guys chanting “Dead Cops Now”. These are the very people who need police the
most. The demonstrations had already made their point. To continue “demonstrating”
after the death of officers Ramos and Liu was insensitive and
counterproductive.
If you want to change the status quo and maintain credibility,
it must be done with seriousness and discipline. When you amp people up into an
angry violent mob you lose moral authority, you lose your message, you lose
your voice.
The issue had already escalated from demonstrations, to
violent riotous attacks on police, to murder. Anybody that says that there was
no connection between these events is being ingenuous. The man who assassinated
officers Ramos and Liu wanted to do something brazen, he needed a cause and was inspired by the melee he saw in New York City, he didn’t decide to go to Ferguson.
The media is also responsible for helping to stir people up with their sensational
coverage.
The “leaders” that invoked and provoked these events are
also guilty of playing with fire. They needed to get as much mileage out of the
unrest as possible because it increases THEIR power. They wanted that dangerous
edge to be present in order for their “cause” to be promoted and amplified. Unfortunately,
their ego was greater than their vision.
There is a difference between activism, politics and government.
You can be an activist and protest against the government. You can be a
politician and advocate reform of the system. Once elected, you are the
government. You can no longer merely criticize and point your finger; now you
must take responsibility and govern.
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