An Open Letter To The Rioters
I’ve seen you opportunists in action before. I participated in a protest against the first Gulf War in San Francisco in 1990. The crowd was estimated at 350 thousand. At one intersection a man in a small sports car accidentally got caught up in the crowd. Provocateurs saw an opportunity to incite violent behavior. They began to rock the man’s car from side to side as if they would turn it over. A group of us who were there to petition for change surrounded the car and walked it out of the crowd. The following day the newspapers showed pictures of the violence. No mention of the nearly 350 thousand people who came to peaceful petition their government for change, as is guaranteed in our constitution.
I have questions for the provocateurs and their followers. What is it that actually motivates you? Perhaps it’s greed. Or is it a childish need to prove manhood? One thing is certain. The things that motivate you to disrupt a peaceful demonstration are exactly the same motivations that drive the people and system that all those other protesters are there to change. And in the context of the current demonstrations, it’s just possible that black men are being used by white nationalists or Russian hackers. Every time you steal the narrative you make it a little harder to affect change. Unlike all the other protesters who are motivated by their hearts, you will be among the one’s with blood on your hands in the future.
I am a stage four bone cancer survivor. Part of my pain therapy is a very carefully structured use of medical cannabis. When I called to get refills, I was told that the cannabis dispensary was looted the night before, as were some pharmacies. I am but one of many who are personally affected by the violence. Destroying property of innocent people is not a way to affect change. Destroying the livelihood of people who may be on the side of justice is plain stupid. So I have to ask myself who the major players are in driving these distractions. I can only assume that those at the top are the same as those who are benefiting politically. Their minions can be found at every level of modern society regardless of race or political affiliation. That’s because in addition to a problem of systemic racism, we are also afflicted with a problem of systemic greed.
