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The Consequences of Bad Leadership
Protests in relation to the redress of grievances .
On May 30, 2020, Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walsh stated that the overwhelming majority of protesters have been peaceful. His Lt. Governor fine-tuned the conversation, noting that there were detractors. He mentioned that anarchists and White Supremacists were fueling the flames with violence. These claims are corroborated by other public officials across the country.
Still, it is difficult to be sure. The media directs our eyes toward what it wants us to see. Most often what it targets is violence.
Many legitimate protest movements get co-opted by violent factions. We have seen this with the anti-Globalist movement; we have seen it happen at various G8 Summits. Unfortunately, violence has become a part of “our modern public protest.” Though I don’t personally condone violence, I am not here to pass judgment on anyone. People are angry. Black males are killed with impunity by Police, while other members of law enforcement stand by and do nothing. This communicates that the norms of law and order the Police are supposed to enforce only apply to non-police personnel. Police enjoy an exemption from criminality and law enforcement. Many see their uniform as a license to lawlessness. When public prosecutors turn a blind eye to complaints of police misconduct, these notions are reinforced.
At the hands of the police, people of color, as a result, are left believing that black life has no value that commands any sort of respect. Unfortunate acts of violence by some members of the public somehow seem to be a concession to the idea that power cedes only to power.
Oddly as we will explore, fear and misunderstanding of protest movements, in a sense, are what created the problem in the first place. The modern urban police state and its abuses are the direct results of policies implemented by President Nixon to curb the activities of his perceived enemies.
In 1968 President Richard Nixon created his famous “enemies list.” The list consisted of approximately twenty individuals. Interestingly, however, two groups were also included on Nixon’s list, they were Blacks and hippies. The question becomes why. The answer might shock you.
