It’s a patriotic thing
Patience with police is at an end
Destruction of property upsets more people than does the senseless inexcusable destruction of black and brown lives at the hands of police officers, and that is simply indefensible.
While people extol the platitude: “Violence isn’t the answer,” I implore you to answer, “Well, what is, then?” Death by police keeps happening while people have been patient for changes that never come.
There will be no peace until there is justice. How many more will have to die at the hands of those sworn to protect and serve before society gets it?
Renee Glembin
Milwaukee
Hypocrisy in protests
It’s interesting how Democratic governors were so concerned about potential violence around protests against extended “stay at home” orders. In our own state of Wisconsin, we had sharpshooters on the roofs and a large police presence for a rally on April 24. No violence. Very peaceful. Just a rally to complain that our rights were being violated.
Yet, now we see actual violence and riots taking place, using the death of
George Floyd as an excuse, and much ado about nothing. Gov. Tony Evers has done very little to control such protesting — which included breaking windows of many businesses, setting cars on fire and basic mayhem.
Attacking police. Actual riots. On State Street. No addressing of social distancing. Masks seem to be AOK, since they hide the identity of those doing the vandalism. So — are we to believe that such is OK, but protesting about being locked in our homes is not?
Amy Hemmer
It is not political to want murder to stop. It is not political to want your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and community to be safe from murder. It is not political to want to walk down the street, run through the park, drive down the street, without the anxiety that afflicts black Americans every day.
Two things can be true at the same time. This country may have provided a person and their family with the lush opportunities of the American Dream while also holding down and systematically working against other communities. Black Americans wanting the same opportunity is not a political thing.
We need to put aside our fragile, white egos and realize that it is not weakness to embrace more freedom, more hopes and more dreams. Black prosperity does not come at the expense of white prosperity. Black prosperity enhances American prosperity.
This country has been about a constant struggle for expanding access to the hopes and dreams America has to offer.
It is time for us white people to listen. To learn how we can help expand our land of hopes and dreams. To learn how we can stop being an obstacle to black prosperity in America.
It’s not a political thing. It’s a patriotic thing.
Luke Schaetzel ask for now. Let’s ask that police forces across the country adopt standards and training that would enable them to arrest people without killing them. A starting point would be the standard that police officers never fire a gun unless someone is pointing a gun at them. That’s not my idea — that principle used to be standard police training. And if it had been adhered to it would have prevented many of the deaths in recent years.
Jerry Schulz
Milwaukee