Looking Ahead – Sad Predictions

Any human being who witnessed the cold-blooded murder of George Floyd last week can not help but be appalled by the viciousness and lack of any moral compass shown by the four police officers that perpetrated this crime. It was an incendiary act by its self then fanned by the omnipresence of social media much of it less than reliable.

No one should have been surprised by the subsequent response of black communities to protest and riot. Burning and looting are sadly predictable outcomes of the pent-up anger of a lifetime of racial and economic inequality. That this response occurred in over 75 cities is a barometer of the depth of racial and economic inequality in the United States.

Peaceful protesters took to the streets by the tens of thousands to demand radical changes in our society. They demand reform of our justice system from the cop on the street to the supreme court. They demand a job that has dignity and pays a living wage. They demand some semblance of hope in the future. In the end, it is hope that has been rung out of the social fabric of our nation. Now that social fabric is shredded and in tatters. Anarchy is fast becoming the new societal norm.

Our country, if it is to survive and thrive, needs radical change. It needs visionary and strong leadership. It needs a charismatic and fearless crusader to confront the systemic racial and economic injustices that are perpetrated by those who own our current government. Unfortunately, there is no longer a candidate for president that possesses these qualities.

As a response to the current events I have seen signs of what I believe is “white fright.” Suburban businesses are boarding up for fear of vandals and looters although there is scarce evidence of suburban violence. Grocery hoarding was rampant in advance of the weekend. Gun buying continues at a record rates. Frightened and unthinking white folk are demanding a stronger police response to the rioters and advocating for their use of force. One can only suppose that they mean the police should have fired on the crowds rather than the measured response showed by local authorities in the Twin Cities. In their view, a few dead people would surely have solved the problem and kept some buildings from being destroyed. Worse of all this white fright, like Nixon’s silent majority, may have bolstered the re-election hopes of Donald Trump.

With the coming of summer and the continuing Covid19 pandemic – remember that – there is little chance for hope expanding in our society. One should expect a collective sense of anarchy to grow. With diminishing hope, those who peacefully took to the streets in righteous protest will become less and less likely to be motivated to vote. Those who long for law and order will become more likely to hold their collective noses and vote for Trump.

We are at a crossroads in our society. One road is hard and very difficult. It will require sacrifice and participation from everyone to attain a better future for our children and their children and our planet. The other road is easier but will cost us our freedoms and our future. Four more years of Donald Trump will lead to a militarized police presence in our cities and a planet that will continue to burn.

Sadly, people have seldom acted in their long-term best interests when there is a less painful short-term alternative.

“Learn from history or you’re doomed to repeat it.”
                                                                                                                           ~ Jesse Ventura