Peaceful protesting is great. Arson, looting, & violence only breed contempt, & totally defeats the purpose of the protest, & may even set it further back than before.
Hi America, rest of the world here, the only violence we have witnessed is your military and police – sorry, paramilitary – declaring war on your own citizens. Good luck, wishing you all the best and sincerely hoping that you can get back to some normality and peace in the near future.
Hi Scott & John, I apologise for my soapbox stand but your cartoon today has touched on a very sensitive subject, felt and affected worldwide, and it does deserve reasoned discussion.
Change takes time. We may not like it but it does. The values a person at about 10 shape who they are to a great deal. To change those vales is a long process. Thus the values one is raised with tend to stick.
We have made progress but we have a long way to go. It will take generations.
Agitators were bent on destroying a national monument in our downtown. After repeated warnings online and on the air about the curfew and that further looting and destruction would be met with force. The agitators showed up anyway. After repeatedly throwing rocks bricks and frozen water bottles. the officers opened fire with wooden bullets. Our Mayor condemned the police and wants an investigation. No change will come as long as we do not recognize the difference between peaceful protests and acts of violence.
There is no doubt that Blacks are killed by the police at a higher rate than all other races. That must be addressed.There is also no doubt that there really are bad people in the world. We charge our police to protect us from those who would assault, rob or kill us. Doing that requires a level of violence by the police in the performance of the job we asked them to do for us. The other thing that happens is when you deal with bad people all day, it influences your outlook on life and people in general.So how do we balance our need for protection with our need for fairness?
I’m in a suburb of Detroit, far from the violence which is in downtown. I’m white, which is the minority in my area. The demonstrations held during the day are largely by African Americans and are mostly peaceful. It has been noted that the violence at night comes largely from whites, some from outside this area. In fact, there is a theory that the agitators may be white supremacists out to make the blacks look bad. It’s just a theory, but, these days, it’s a highly possible one.
I’m old enough that I have faint memories of hearing about the Watts riots. I remember what happened after Dr. King’s assassination, and the unrest following the Kent State shootings, the recent 50th anniversary of which showed that Kent State STILL can’t be discussed without tempers flaring. I recall the riots following the Rodney King incident. And now, we have this. I have hoped for years that such violence and the incidents that have prompted them would become a thing of the past. I now know it won’t happen in my lifetime.
Here’s a thought: if you obey the law you aren’t likely to encounter police. Or if you do, do what they tell you and speak in polite terms. You may think police are out to get you, but most are doing their jobs in a sometimes dangerous environment.
I was a tween during the ’68 riots in DC (I am a white female). I can remember sitting on my roof and seeing parts of DC burning and being scared because my dad was down in it (the armed forces were involved and he was the chauffeur for the Commandant of the National War College), driving around DC so his boss could see what was going on where and help direct things. Since then, I have tried to pay more attention to injustices. I have to admit, though, that I am not an activist. I do what I can on a one-to-one level. Treat everyone with respect, vote every time for the person I think will be the best for EVERYONE, not just the rich, white men. I have raised my daughter as best I can to be the same way. I know it is not much, but if a lot more people did it, that would go along way, I think, to help. The inequality in treatment by police I see is appalling. I know there are a lot of police who try to be fair and the media is notorious for only reporting the stories involving the “bad apples.” But that also points out that those “bad apples” are not getting “culled from the barrel” like they should. That is inexcusable. Wrong is wrong, no matter what side of the blue line you are on. Police should not be allowed to investigate themselves. It is too easy to excuse; shift blame; ignore; sweep under the rug; lose evidence; etc. I am glad they are using cameras and that more people have cell phones. More and more abuse is getting caught. It is getting harder and harder to ignore. To me, THAT is the start of the possibility for change. Wow, that turned out to be way longer than I planned. Sorry.
socalvillaguy Premium Member over 4 years ago
Ain’t THAT the truth!
charliefarmrhere over 4 years ago
Peaceful protesting is great. Arson, looting, & violence only breed contempt, & totally defeats the purpose of the protest, & may even set it further back than before.
franksmin over 4 years ago
Hi America, rest of the world here, the only violence we have witnessed is your military and police – sorry, paramilitary – declaring war on your own citizens. Good luck, wishing you all the best and sincerely hoping that you can get back to some normality and peace in the near future.
Darsan54 Premium Member over 4 years ago
LOVE Herbie’s mask.
Also, his question may be naive, but he’s trying not to be. Credit where credit is due.
franksmin over 4 years ago
Hi Scott & John, I apologise for my soapbox stand but your cartoon today has touched on a very sensitive subject, felt and affected worldwide, and it does deserve reasoned discussion.
Sportymonk over 4 years ago
Change takes time. We may not like it but it does. The values a person at about 10 shape who they are to a great deal. To change those vales is a long process. Thus the values one is raised with tend to stick.
We have made progress but we have a long way to go. It will take generations.
Smokie over 4 years ago
Agitators were bent on destroying a national monument in our downtown. After repeated warnings online and on the air about the curfew and that further looting and destruction would be met with force. The agitators showed up anyway. After repeatedly throwing rocks bricks and frozen water bottles. the officers opened fire with wooden bullets. Our Mayor condemned the police and wants an investigation. No change will come as long as we do not recognize the difference between peaceful protests and acts of violence.
micromos over 4 years ago
How’s does stealing a TV bring change?
TheBigPickle over 4 years ago
CJ looks cute here, even with the mask…
raybarb44 over 4 years ago
Depends on which side is causing the violence
Bruce1253 over 4 years ago
There is no doubt that Blacks are killed by the police at a higher rate than all other races. That must be addressed.There is also no doubt that there really are bad people in the world. We charge our police to protect us from those who would assault, rob or kill us. Doing that requires a level of violence by the police in the performance of the job we asked them to do for us. The other thing that happens is when you deal with bad people all day, it influences your outlook on life and people in general.So how do we balance our need for protection with our need for fairness?
Kim Metzger Premium Member over 4 years ago
I’m in a suburb of Detroit, far from the violence which is in downtown. I’m white, which is the minority in my area. The demonstrations held during the day are largely by African Americans and are mostly peaceful. It has been noted that the violence at night comes largely from whites, some from outside this area. In fact, there is a theory that the agitators may be white supremacists out to make the blacks look bad. It’s just a theory, but, these days, it’s a highly possible one.
I’m old enough that I have faint memories of hearing about the Watts riots. I remember what happened after Dr. King’s assassination, and the unrest following the Kent State shootings, the recent 50th anniversary of which showed that Kent State STILL can’t be discussed without tempers flaring. I recall the riots following the Rodney King incident. And now, we have this. I have hoped for years that such violence and the incidents that have prompted them would become a thing of the past. I now know it won’t happen in my lifetime.
zippykatz over 4 years ago
Here’s a thought: if you obey the law you aren’t likely to encounter police. Or if you do, do what they tell you and speak in polite terms. You may think police are out to get you, but most are doing their jobs in a sometimes dangerous environment.
contralto2b over 4 years ago
I was a tween during the ’68 riots in DC (I am a white female). I can remember sitting on my roof and seeing parts of DC burning and being scared because my dad was down in it (the armed forces were involved and he was the chauffeur for the Commandant of the National War College), driving around DC so his boss could see what was going on where and help direct things. Since then, I have tried to pay more attention to injustices. I have to admit, though, that I am not an activist. I do what I can on a one-to-one level. Treat everyone with respect, vote every time for the person I think will be the best for EVERYONE, not just the rich, white men. I have raised my daughter as best I can to be the same way. I know it is not much, but if a lot more people did it, that would go along way, I think, to help. The inequality in treatment by police I see is appalling. I know there are a lot of police who try to be fair and the media is notorious for only reporting the stories involving the “bad apples.” But that also points out that those “bad apples” are not getting “culled from the barrel” like they should. That is inexcusable. Wrong is wrong, no matter what side of the blue line you are on. Police should not be allowed to investigate themselves. It is too easy to excuse; shift blame; ignore; sweep under the rug; lose evidence; etc. I am glad they are using cameras and that more people have cell phones. More and more abuse is getting caught. It is getting harder and harder to ignore. To me, THAT is the start of the possibility for change. Wow, that turned out to be way longer than I planned. Sorry.
Dragoncat over 4 years ago
I like the change in CJ’s hairstyle.