Don’t decry the “language of the unheard”
Our nation continues to boil in a state of civil arrest. We all feel it. As pressure builds and elections near, our city officials have begun to blow whistles — calls laced with law and order melodies.
A recent action in Denver starred some overly- righteous and aggressive actors. They set fires, busted windows, spraypainted walls, and tossed fireworks at police. Denver Director of Safety Murphy Robinson both denounced the ‘ anarchy’ and encouraged other officials to make statements.
Gov. Jared Polis went to social media particularly concerned by an incident of property damage at a family- owned Quizno restaurant on Grant Street.
“Just as we all condemn inexcusable acts of terror against a family- owned restaurant, acts of criminal terrorism are just as wrong against corporate chains and public buildings.”
He ended his statement with, “An attack against any of our lives and property is an attack against all of our lives and property.”
His entire statement doesn’t add up. Especially the use of criminal terrorism and comparing small businesses to corporate chains.
First off, this family- owned franchise is not comparable to a corporation. I’m sure this family has poured countless financial sacrifices and sweat equity into their business. The insurance deductible to cover this damage might put them out of their entire savings.
But this is the stark difference. A corporation like Wellsfargo or Walmart can eat costs like these with no problem. I hope there’s community outpour for this family to recover.
Gov. Polis also mentions an attack on property and life in the same sentence. Equating corporations and property to personhood jeopardizes the safety of people. Loss of property and loss of life are two very different things.
Sure, the moral high ground of those arrested is brittle. But their actions weren’t targeted to terrorize that specific family.
Yes, the vandalism was an aggressive action considered a crime. But property damage is less harmful than the violent killing of people. Either by civilians or police.
And calling it an act of violent terrorism only escalates the heat on the pressure cooker. It makes defending private property, official buildings and statues seem patriotic. This type of language puts lives in danger. It emboldens militia and other armed groups looking for any excuse to act.
Three days after Gov. Polis’ tweet, an actual act of violence against people occurred. A 17year- old was arrested on suspicion of killing two protesters and injuring another in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Several news outlets revealed he was an aspiring police officer.
Many will excuse the killings with self- defense. But there are so many questions left unanswered. What stirred a 17- yearold to open carry an assault- style rifle he wasn’t old enough to have in Wisconsin? What compelled him to cross state lines to protect
property from protesters?
There’s those who will blame the two dead protestors in Kenosha who were gunned down. They’ll ask why were they there? They should have stayed home. Protesters were out that night because a few days before a police officer fired seven rounds at Jacob Blake’s back. The shots paralyzed him in front of his three young children.
Surviving families like Blake’s and McClain’s call for peaceful protests. They have no control over the devolution of demonstrations and actions. But officials purport opportunistic pacifist messages. All while being complicit to a biased and racist system that continues to take Black and Brown lives.
George H. Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, implored for peace in his recent column. He pointed at Elijah McClain protestors.
“Whom do you stand with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the protesters or the rioters?,” Brauchler asked.
As if these three are mutually exclusive. As if rioters are inherently bad. As if Dr. King did not accept the purpose of a riot in a movement closer to the end of his life.
“Urban riots must now be recognized as durable social phenomena,” he said. “They may be deplored, but they are there and should be understood. Urban riots are a special form of violence.”
At the end, the nonviolent civil rights leader did not denounce a riot as terrorism. He called it the “language of the unheard.” This doesn’t not make him an anarchist apologist.
Our city officials have made it clear. Their loudest outcry is for the defense of property. And they’ve accomplished to generalize and vilify all rioters in the process.
No matter how it’s dressed a broken window will never compare to a stolen life.