With Trumps nonsense about calling in the Army if governors didn't act last night I thought that was it, he'd sunk any hope he had. He'd come off as fanning the flames more. Not looking for peace. Over-reacting (Non lethal rounds vs protesters throwing rocks and fireworks is one thing butt the Army is a whole new level). 1 protestor had died in an accident when police allegedly fired at a suspect in a crowd and hit the innocent guy instead with lethal round due to a perceived threat. There was 1 officer killed Friday which is being investigated.
Then last night happened.
4 Police in hospital having been shot in St Louis
3 Police in hospital 2 allegedly seriously so having been run over.
1 MSNBC new crew woman hit by fireworks from protesters
1 Police officer shot in the head (He's in the ICU) the rioter who shot at him was shot dead in return.
1 more Police officer shot in Vegas
People will look at that and go
"You know what maybe the army is needed. It seems the Police can't handle it and it's not the protesters that are the problems but those more than willing to use the protests as cover" Its a terrible situation to be in to see the Army being brought in against the people but it is deteriorating into a street war and it will be seen or spun as the army coming in the protect the People are their communities from those from out of state turning up to destroy said communities and deprive them of facilities and access to resources. To many (yes even some Black people) this would now look like bringing the Army in not against protesters but Rioters and people seeing to destroy their communities because the present system is broken and needs fixing but some people seem intent on burning it down so long as they get their way to rule over the ashes. People would rather have a broken system where they live in risk but can get most of what they need than be scrabbling round in the ashes struggling to get supplies and things they need. The rioters may do more to end the protest than anything else as because it's harming black communities having rioters burn them down, it's costing black people their businesses , It's denying those communities easy access to shops to get food and medicine, it's denying those communities jobs and as more stories like those come out it won't be "Trump sending in the military against people" it will be "Trump sending in the military to help save black communities". It all depends on how the military acts admittedly but it's very easy to see how this could fall either way.
If Biden and the Democrats need to take the lead here in essence and kind of need to stand against the rioters and make it clear they stand only with the peaceful protesters and want peace. They have to walk a fine line here of proving they can crack down on the riots because failure to do so could cost governors their positions in the long run when people see the ashes and ruins of their communities and think it was a democrat governor who failed to prevent people from out of state or wealthy suburbs coming to their inner city communities and burning them down.
A taste of their own medicine, then?
I'm sorry really?
Really we're still doing this BS group nonsense?
Just because some asshole cops don't see a person but apparently a skin colour or something?
This is the same attitude as those cops.
You don't see a person you're seeing a uniform and thinking it's justified.
If you want change you need to break the wheel not merely turn it a bit and carry on the same.
Sad thing is that I honestly don't think he had to do this to get his walk. If he'd come out peacefully its not like you'd expect a crowd he treated with peace would want to tear him apart. They aren't there to murder him.
But I think in general that the conservative mindset is very fearful at its core, they act tough but everything scares them its why they conserve so much they even fear change.
I dunno him walking out was likely deemed a risk with the crowds about. Presidents and politicians love meeting and seeing crowds but security hate it. Even if the crowd would have let him walk out peacefully (which is somewhat doubtful considering the anger at present) then you only need one idiot, one deranged person thinking they're saving the world to take a shot. I mean the Congress baseball shooting was a guy who turned up and shot at republican congress people thinking he was saving the USA or something and that was before all this kicked off.
Also IF something had happened can you imagine the chaos that would have happened?
You've turned Trump into a symbol for his base, you've proved the bullshit he's been spewing right in their eyes.
If Trump lives you've had a president who got shot trying to be peaceful his hardcore base would be on the street within hours.
If Trump dies then not only would his base be on the street but you can bet it would turn every republican senator to full on crackdown mode and any democrat opposing what would be seen as law and order would end up out of a seat most likely come November as they'd be seen as supporting a violent "communist" power grab attempt to undermine democracy and seize power, or that's how it would be spun.
Far better for everyone Trump was a dick and the streets forced to be cleared like they were.
The police are not in fact the problem but a symptom of the problem. In order to deal with the issue, the actual economic reasons for why these communities are poor, and thus more prone to have crime, and thus the major areas the police must interact with when dealing with crime, is the thing that must be addressed. We cannot turn back the clock to the end of the Civil War and change how poorly it was handled in regards to integrating the now freed black people into society so endlessly pointing this out ad nauseam without actually making meaningful action is pointless. Either the people in these extremely poor areas need to be moved somewhere where they actually have the means to better their situation with the aid given or whatever is in these neighborhoods that could be turned into a method of improving their lives needs to be found. Just handing these poor neighborhoods housing, money, or food without also creating something long term does not work, we've been trying it for years with no success which means a new solution must be taken as apposed to having them be little more than serfs clinging to the small handouts given by the government.
While I don't know if I agree with it, I did see a suggestion that the legalization of drugs that are peddled in high crime areas would lead to less crime similar to how the repealing of Prohibition reduced criminal activities to distribute it.
The problem has multiple levels though in the system and it's one hell of a problem to fix.
Why are some areas deprived?
Because of crime
Why is crime so prevalent?
Lack of jobs
Why is there a lack of jobs?
Because companies see the area as a risk due to the amount of crime.
It's catch 22
To quote Aladin
"Gotta eat to leave, gotta steal to eat"
It gets worse though.
Lets say you renovate the area. That means people with more money want to move in and the newer nicer area has landlords able to charge more or at least get more from the new residents moving in which forces poorer people out even when it's being renewed.
Some areas get "Gentrified" which is seen by some to destroy the community presently there or the change it to being lets say pretentious.
Then we have schools.
How Schools get their funding in the US is based on the average house price in the area. So an area filled with Mansions will have schools getting more money than an area filled with low end housing. Higher funding means better pay and conditions for teachers to work in and more support which means better teachers can and will be head hunted or drift towards the schools with more cash on hand because teaching isn't an easy job and fighting a system that doesn't have money to support you while teaching kids with no hope and no prospects if they don't get lucky, or join the military or just somehow leave the area is a real struggle.
About the best target would be to aim at schools honestly as the first step in reforms.
Make them safer. At least level the funding out so it's a state average funding not merely funded based on the area and balance it based on pupil numbers too so schools with less pupils (unless they are special needs schools) get less funding while over-crowded schools get more funding. Try to give a generation hope and the ability to leave the inner cities to get jobs elsewhere as a start. Then use the number of people getting said jobs to point to companies how good the area would be to set up in as they can partner with the schools to get people into apprenticeships or other jobs easily and be able to get some good candidates right on their doorstep.