Quote:
Originally Posted by wittynickname
For all the "this isn't changing anything" people: Americans' perception of the police has dropped drastically in one week.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ey/3159072001/
We have no way of knowing currently if this will result in change. Change is not immediate. This is a place we'll have to return to in hindsight. |
And here’s why this matters, and why the “well people should be more respectful of property when protesting against the devaluation of their lives!” can’t figure it out.
Peaceful protesting is not effective. Rioting and looting is not effective. These things alone do not bring change. HOWEVER, violence from those in power has historically been a requirement for needed change, it draws attention from people who otherwise would think “well I’m not black so I don’t relate.” Do we know if rioting and looting helped raise the stakes? Impossible to be sure, but maybe. And by raising the stakes you’ve seen police attack peaceful protestors, journalists, and even old white people who just generally were doing nothing wrong.
Violence is required for change, it always has been. The key is to show yourselves as the victim of violent oppressors, and the police have handed this movement that in spades.