In an eighteen minute video, Candace Owens gives her reason for not supporting the idea that George Floyd is a martyr for the black community.

“For whatever reason it has become fashionable over the last five or six years for us to turn criminals into heroes overnight, and it is something that I find to be despicable and there’s something that I refuse to stand by any longer and I am not going to play a part in it — no matter how much pressure comes from black liberals and black conservatives as some token of people wanting you to believe that this is the only way you can be black,” – Candace Owens

Photo by: Daniel Pier/ Nur Via Getty Images

An article by Forbes, states that Target will temporarily close 175 stores. As I mentioned in my post Tragedy Followed by Tragedy, this is the cost of the actions of the rioters. Lost jobs that are normally filled by the residents of those communities. Moreover, residents of those communities would have to go out of the community for their needs making it inconvenient and by extension more expensive than before the riots.

‘The media does them no service by categorizing the lawlessness as peaceful and justified. The media doesn’t realize how condescending their excusing of bad behavior is to the very communities they purport to support. When the media expects the highest level of civility from one group then excuses another group of the same level of behavior, it is straightforward bigotry.

I hope that in future, all of us (media included) will be able to condemn bad acts regardless of what group commits the acts and regardless of what perceived excuse there is.

Photo by: Richard Tsong-Taatari of Star Tribune Via Getty Images.

A recent article by one of my favorite economists, Walter E. Williams, focused a hypothetical question: Where would you or I choose to live with a caveat, that a life of poverty is the fate? Given that each of us can come up with countless caveats, focusing the question is extremely important. In the article, Professor Williams goes through the myriad of benefits available to citizens (and at times non-citizens) of The United States.

In the same article, Professor Williams also gives us a resource. As his reputation is impeccable, I have made that site a permanent link on this blog. Look over to the right of any page of this blog and you will see the just facts link.

Today is my birthday and at that I am reminded why I’m A Grateful Immigrant.

A prayer held by whites and blacks in Houston where George Floyd grew up, should be shown just as much as the riots. Enough said.

The reports from two Medical Examiners, one by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and the other by two private doctors representing George Floyd’s Family, has concluded that Mr. Floyd’s death was a homicide. That was what an overwhelming number of people knew to be the cause. That is what sparked outrage. That was due to the inhumanity of the Police Officers involved.

Although there are differences in the two reports, which will be vigorously examined during ex-officer Derek Chauvin’s trial, the cause of death was asphyxia. Simply, oxygen flow to his brain was restricted. Everyone saw the Police Officer kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for at least 8 straight minutes.

For most including myself, all the other details are for the officers involved sentencing. What reasonable people are expecting is that perpetrators be charged to the fullest extent of the law. Nothing less.

Al

From a brilliant young writer. This article is bound to get both sides talking. When I proposed a hypothetical situation to my 20 year old daughter, she had what I would consider a reasonable response. The hypothetical was that she was at work and they get caught off guard and rioters begin to loot and destroy her place of work. What would she do? She said she would get out as safely as she can and let them have at it. Rational, right? To me and millions like me, it is.

Now, add a layer. You’re the owner of a family business. Ok, let’s add all the emotional triggers. You put you’re blood, sweat and tears into it. What would you do? Hopefully the same thing. Although, it’s not as easy for many, just to walk away.

I say these because, In situations such as the two hypotheticals, it was really the duty of people we hired or elected to do their job. We have empowered them to protect us. We gave them the enormous legal, moral and ethical use of force. Unfortunately, just like what happened to George Floyd, the people we hired and elected to protect us, didn’t. We were betrayed by them. To be clear, not all of them, but enough for us to say where we’re you and why didn’t you do your job?

Daniel Horowitz’s article is to inform (for some remind) us that we gave our elected leaders enormous power, to primarily, protect us,- and they didn’t.

Clips from “Death Of A Nation.” 2018.

President Trump tweeted Sunday morning May 31, 2020 that the group called Antifa (Short for Anti-fascist) “will” be declared a domestic terrorist group. Key phrase “will be.” This means we will wait when it’s actually declared. If he does, the Patriot Act passed in 2001 will be the guiding law in the enhanced surveilling, apprehending and ultimately eliminating such groups.

There is already pushback on the announcement. CNN reporting that experts claim unconstitutionality of such declaration. However, the article by Evan Perez and Jason Hoffman does not name the current and former officials they are crediting for their article. The only positive identification in their article is of the ACLU and it’s National Security Project Director, Hina Shamsi. Director Shamsi says there is “no legal authority for designating a domestic group” as a terrorist organization.

Harsh? Considering what happened on May 25th 2020 and the days following that, it needs to be harsh!

Active Sin

Officer Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck during an arrest, is not only unacceptable, it could very well be illegal. Especially, as the viral video of it has shown, there was no resistance.

The other sinners were the rioters who were looting and destroying businesses, Police Precincts as well as assaulting a woman in a wheelchair.

Inaction – Passive Sin

Three Blind Mice (Three Officers)

The three Minneapolis Police Officers, with then Officer Derek Chauvin, are seen actively assisting in the apprehension and ultimate control of George Floyd. What cannot be seen or corroborated is their intervention on Mr. Floyd’s behalf when the latter kept asking for help. He kept saying he couldn’t breath and for eight minutes this continued with no relief. Why they didn’t check on him is inexplicable. They had control of him. He was handcuffed and on the ground. Ultimately, George Floyd died.

The Three Stooges (Minnesota Leaders – Governor Walz, Saint Paul Mayor Carter and Minneapolis Mayor Frey)

On May 26, 2020, a riot broke out in the City of Minneapolis where the death of George Floyd occurred. The 3rd Precinct Police Station was breached and the Mayor ordered it abandoned. The rioters destroyed and burned down store after store, building after building. Parked cars were not spared.

The next two days, knowing what happened, the Mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul did effectively nothing to protect the other properties not yet ruined from the previous night. At a press conference, Mayor Frey was heard saying that those were just properties. Lost on him were all the people behind those businesses. Owners, employees and customers who have come to rely on those businesses for their daily needs.

In a State, the buck stops at the Governor’s Mansion. Governor Walz was offered help by no less than The President Of The United States, Donald Trump. Walz turned down the assistance. The mayhem continued through Friday evening May 29, 2020. Not until Saturday evening May 30th did the Governor order the rioters dispersed.

Dereliction Of Duty

The Three (Four) Minneapolis Police Officers, the Governor and Mayors of St. Paul and Minneapolis failed in their primary duty. Their jobs were first and foremost to protect all of us. It wasn’t and never was to appease lawbreakers regardless of circumstance. Specially when the lawbreaking becomes an existential threat for a community.

Victim(s)

To be sure, everything started with the unjustifiable death of George Floyd. He was the first. Then his death was somehow lost in the carnage that followed. From early accounts Mr. Floyd did not live a troubled life. Not that that matters. What I mean is he didn’t fight it out with the Police. He didn’t put anyones life in danger.

The citizens of Minneapolis and St. Paul also known as the Twin Cities are also victims. The surrounding Metropolitan cities were not spared the effects of the rioters violence. Just like Mr. Floyd, they were innocent of any infraction with society that warranted non-protection by the institutions they elected to protect them.

An inventory of the damage done after George Floyd’s Death.