Arson,looting and street protests are a volatile enough combination in themselves. But what made the runrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and other US cities even more incendiary is the growing presence of armed vigilantes.
These self-styled militia, or “civilian patrols”, claim to be helping keep the peace, yet their arrival simply makes violence more likely. Witness the killing of two men in Kenosha, allegedly by a 17-year-old vigilante. That Kyle Rittenhouse was able to walk down the street with a semi-automatic rifle on his shoulder was bad enough. But according to news reports, the police didn’t even stop him when protesters shouted that he’d shot someone. Video footage from before the shooting shows an officer tossing water bottles to Rittenhouse and other armed men. “We appreciate you guys,” says the cop. “We really do.”
It always spells trouble when people start taking the law into their own hands. But this is what happens when elected leaders turn a blind eye to lawlessness. Officials have allowed a form of mob rule to take root over the summer in several cities. In the case of Seattle, they allowed rioters to claim control over part of the city for nearly an entire month. The city’s Democratic mayor dismissed it as a “block party”. When leaders fail to keep people safe and prevent property damage, vigilantism is the inevitable result.
The militia-style groups – some of whom are affiliated with the “boogaloo” movement, which wants to foment a civil war – are not out to protect; they’re out to intimidate. Increasingly they’re making their presence felt at events unlinked to any pretence of restoring order. They’ve demonstrated against the removal of Confederate statues; in May, they sought to enter the legislative chamber in Michigan’s state capitol to protest against lockdown measures. This isn’t like the vigilantism America saw during the LA riots of 1992, when some shop owners brandished pistols to protect their businesses. These are partisan groups armed with military-grade weapons, looking for trouble. If President Trump and his allies “don’t turn the temperature down” by regulating their rhetoric, the violence could get a whole lot worse.
(Chicago Sun-Times, National Review, Los Angeles Times and The Week).
My comment: Fascist groups and so-called “strong men” have reappeared. My father and two uncles spent 6 years of their lives putting vicious fascist thugs back in their boxes (also known as coffins). Had governments had the conviction and courage they would never have had to risk their lives. I fear this type of politics,lying and violence, has returned. Young people, read your history! This is not a B movie. Epicurus sought peace of mind and a pleasant, rewarding life – and so should we.
When the pandemic arrived and people emptied store shelves by stocking up on toilet paper, my advice was to stock up instead on ammunition. Not for vigilante purposes, of course but, rather, for defense of home and person. When the riots began after George Floyd, I became even more concerned about the tide developing in a country already marked by two antagonistic and irreconcilable political camps. The hatred of Democrats and liberals for Trump and anybody who supports him has been palpable. Republicans and conservatives have responded with intractible rhetoric. Whatever politician of whichever party is holding the bullhorn at any particular moment, it is rare that I don’t find myself shouting, “Just STFU and take a valium!” Aside from political camps, there’s a sizeable population who have no moral qualms about theft, burglary and robbery. The usual constraint that keeps them from acting out has been the fear of getting caught. Protests already charged with high emotions created an environment where the usual constraint was focused elsewhere. Enter certain antagonists happy to incite this population, and the result was seen in New York City, Seattle and elsewhere. Overwhelmed law enforcement saw more of its bad apples publicized, resulting in calls to defund or disband the police. Enter the vigilantes. With this state of affairs, one needs also to be aware that certain foreign interests love nothing more than escalating anarchy in our society. They’re adept at using social media to add fuel to our fire, and probably have operatives engaged with groups that foment unrest and violence. Getting back to vigilantes, rising vigilantism signals rising anarchy and, ultimately, the rise of fascism. We’re headed for what they call a defining moment. I have my fingers crossed that there’s enough intelligense to be found in those who govern to do what’s needed to restore a civil society. Hmm, when I put it that way, it seems awfully naive. Well, then, I hope there’s enough intelligense to be found in the electorate to vote in those who have enough intelligense to do what’s necessary to restore a civil society. Hmm, still somewhat naive. Maybe I’d better just stock up on more ammo.