No mainstream leader supports looting

I have heard no significant political leader say that burning, looting and vandalism are acceptable behavior. There is broad agreement, in fact, that such behavior ought to be punished. Most protesters would probably say the same, knowing that these kinds of acts only hurts their cause. The idea that there is a constituency for such behavior is a vote-seeking canard that avoids the problem.

The problem is that President Trump will not recognize that there is another side of the issue and that this behavior, unacceptable as it is, has roots in legitimate outrage. Perhaps because of Trump’s background as a New York City real estate developer, property damage seems to resonate with him more than human damage does. During his visit to Kenosha, he said plenty about property damage, but nothing about the incident that started the unrest.

There are some problems that respond only to a swat upside the head, but I doubt that racial inequity is one of them. The situation will not be resolved by somebody who prioritizes being perceived as a tough guy. Curt Fredrikson, Mokena

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