[May 31, 2020] For citizens of American in denial, for those with their heads up their butts, and for folks on the edge of sanity, the City of Minneapolis is “burning” literally and by large-scale rioting, vandalism, arson and looting, murder, and political opportunism not seen since the 1965 LA Watts or 1968 Chicago race riots or the more recent Baltimore and Ferguson riots. This is a leadership test following the death of George Floyd, a black man, killed by a white police officer, and the city was found wanting. Each of these riots has something in common and at its core the problems stem from a common source. Violence has been on the increase for at least the last decade in Minneapolis, families continue to fail (dramatically), and churches are closing despite politicians and community leaders are working overtime to stop the slow slide into turn-your-head failure. Why? There is no simple answer but here is something we should think about.
The City of Minneapolis is mainly burning for two interrelated reasons. First, it’s not racism, discrimination, crime, unemployment, welfare, or illegal drugs or guns. These are the symptoms of a much deeper cancer. The cause is the reason all the previous riots occurred. Local political, community, and religious leaders are willfully turning their heads from their own personal lack of sufficient courage to tell the truth or adopt responsibility for long-term city-wide social failures. They mostly blame guns, drugs, racism, and out-of-town agitators and promise to make more reforms, spend more tax money, and blame America’s past for “keeping the black man down.” They tell their citizens that “we are with you” and “we have your back.” “We feel your pain,” Bill Clinton once said and that philosophy works for votes.
What they rely upon most is support from each citizen for “this-time-it-will-work” social policies that promise much but deliver (at least historically) little in the way of results. Citizens of Minneapolis (as well as nearby St. Paul and other large cities where the rioting has spread) are directly responsible for supporting political and community leaders and not holding them accountable. We can all attest to the powerless citizen and their frustration, who would have to kiss the ring of local race-hustlers and charlatans before getting a crumb. Subject already to a steady stream of ideological propaganda about how slavery continues today in other forms and how our history explains their predicament, those who live in Minneapolis can hardly be blamed for their beliefs … but I blame them. If locals don’t push back on the same ole’ thing, then nothing will change. Rioting is easy; peace is hard. Violence is the default position that can be changed.
Euphemisms like “peaceful protests” which are designed to make us look the other way, away from the reality of a burning Minneapolis don’t help. The boy mayor, Jacob Frey, is out of his depth, having grown his career in a corrupt, dysfunctional government structure. Building affordable housing, focusing on legalizing marijuana, dehumanizing the police department, lack of coordination with the state, grandiose talk, and him ultimately kowtowing to rioters and looters is pushing his early failures to a more dangerous level. His response to the violence is simply another example of what happens when people vote for an unproven ideology in the place of meritocracy, relevant experience, and honest leadership.
President Trump declared Sunday that he will designate the radical liberal group Antifa as a terrorist organization after a week of violent riots across the country. This should help. Antifa has been a terrorist org for a long time. Now is the time to bring them under the law and not above it.
Great article, Sadako Red. I just really appreciate the way you tackle a subject and hammer home the stupidity of some people in the most senior leader positions. Makes you wonder how they got there in the first place.
Yes, excellent and entertaining.
Hey, thanks Sadako Red. Once again you nailed it. I laughed thru your entire article and thought both how funny AND how sad this whole situation is. I blame the terrible leadership in our minority community and in our federal govt for their ignoring long-simmering city problems.
Good point you’ve made here, Gil. Thanks. Just another example of failed leadership and now that we ‘see’ it, time to study the failures so we don’t make similar mistakes.
Studying, very closely and deliberately, failure in leadership is a long running theme from Gen. Satterfield. He, like me, believes that we should learn from the mistakes of others and try not to repeat them. Someone should provide a list.
isn’t it simply amazing how they want to contact Trace all of us decent hard-working citizens but just can’t seem to make it work with the rioters.
Yep. This has to be the Justice Department’s and the FBI’s JOB ONE when this is over. Then follow the money and arrest those who are funding it. No doubt all roads lead to George Soros and one or more of his phony “foundations.” RICO will allow the feds to get to the REAL perps.
The morning reports are out and is appears there is less overnight damage. The fires are being put out. It’s predictable that the liquor and drugs are wearing off, especially after the Friday and Saturday night riots…er, peaceful protests, so there are hopeful signs.
The National Guard troops provide a great presence and the police tactics are improving after days and days of “peaceful protest.”
I am happy to see the baby steps in the right direction, but the performance at the govenor’s press conference was beyond parody.
Locking the barn door after the horse has fled the pasture.
It appears that a large fraction of Minnesota’s National Guard are Air Force support and logistics. Not military police. Trump has put Army military police units on alert for deployment.
Big fan of yours SR. Thanks again for another wonderfully written, non-politically correct article. I laughed and cried reading it.
What I really like about you Sadako Red is that you are not politically correct. Which, BTW, is the underlying reason so many crazies can get away with this level of destruction. Oh, other countries had better watch out. They too are subject to the same level of violence.
Kenny, you are so right. That is why I think the lockdown we’ve been under is another level of frustration that magnified what’s going on.
I agree. And when you are treated as a privileged, victimized group any reason for violence is acceptable.
Excellent point, Thanks Mike. Blacks in America are treated with kit gloves when we should all be treated as individuals. When tribalism is what gets you ahead, then you have just another banana republic like so many other 3rd world countries.
Few corners of America were untouched, from protesters setting fires inside Reno’s city hall, to police launching tear gas at rock-throwing demonstrators in Fargo, North Dakota, to shattered windows at police headquarters in Richmond, Virginia.
Right Willie and what is being done about it? Simple, for those who are obeying the law, trying to earn enough money to feed their families, keep a job, help our communities, …. we are seen as the invisible because it’s the troublemakers destroying things that are seen as the “good.” Our politicians are terrible.
Spot on comment. We that obey the law are no-bodies. The protesters are what are seen as needing help. Yep, with a gun.
The organized rioters…er peacful protesters aren’t letting up and will descend on the state capital building today. It’s telling that the peaceful protesters chant “no justice no peace” knowing their “peaceful” activity isn’t peaceful.
Hi Mr. EMK, I’m one of your fans and would like for you to also write an article soon. We all love the way you write and the topics you chose.
Great article, Mr. Sadako Red.
Sunday morning coming down? Yes, I woke up and logged-in and read Mr. Red’s column. I’ve been a regular reader of this blog for a couple of years and Mr. Red is the best guest blogger here. Thanks…. I enjoy each one and plan to go back and re-read earlier posts of his.
Great to see you back at Gen. Satterfield’s blog. I’m one of your many fans here and, of course, you’ve once again hit the nail to the head with your article. I find you entertaining and educational — and done in such a non-PC way. ?
Yeah !! Plenty of SR fans out here.
I think it is a mix of the coronavirus shutdown (and frustration with it) and a long occuring yet toxic mix of vitue-signaling by elites. That makes it difficult and frustrating for the rest of us. The killing was just an excuse.
Interesting theory but I don’t think these are the major causes. I do believe, however, that too many so-called leaders in our nation are not doing the right things by calling out destructive behavior for what it is … evil. Whether the death of the black man by cop (evil) or the arson and rioting (evil). Two sides of the same coin.
Yes, Eric and yet our political leaders would rather kowtow (is that what Sadako Red said) to the peaceful protesters burning their cities to the ground. That way, they see themselves as morally superior to the rest of us knuckledraggers.
Good points.
I too believe the problem with so many big cities is that they really don’t have huge problems. That means that they drift into nonsense and fail to do those things that prevent the very problems we are seeing today.
Thanks Dennis. Yes, this was a great article by SR.