Posted on Apr 27, 2015
How does disagreement with police actions or court decisions transition to, "Let's riot, loot and destroy our city?"
11K
73
41
12
12
0
I absolutely do not advocate unnecessary force by police, nor do I advocate police brutality. But, I also understand that no one, but police, (perhaps Soldiers who have been in combat), have any idea what it means to go to work every day and not know if you will come home. Nor do many realize, that there are actually real bad guys out there. Also, not everyone the police deal with are innocent, as the media often portrays.
I also well understand peaceful protests and freedom of speech are allowed by our constitution and rule of law.
That said, I will never understand how disdain for our police, our government, our constitution, or our rule of law... rapidly transition to "lets go burn down our neighborhood and steal things?" I get the protests, but not the idea that we can steal and destroy because we are pissed...
Very confused, I am once again.
I also well understand peaceful protests and freedom of speech are allowed by our constitution and rule of law.
That said, I will never understand how disdain for our police, our government, our constitution, or our rule of law... rapidly transition to "lets go burn down our neighborhood and steal things?" I get the protests, but not the idea that we can steal and destroy because we are pissed...
Very confused, I am once again.
Posted in these groups: 
Constitution
Protest
Constitution Protest
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 32
1
1
0
The Right to Free Speech.
The Right to Assemble.
The Right to Protest.
Combine those with Abuses of Power, and it just becomes a mathematical equation.
Get too many people together. Get them angry enough. Get one person in a position of trust who abuses said trust one too many times, and things will turn violent. Once that happens, and "civilization" turns off like a like switch.
Humans, as much as I hate to say this, have "animal instincts." I'm not saying we're animals (though technically we are). I'm saying that it pushed to far, we will revert to a state where we don't use our conscious minds, and instinct takes over. Survival is just a powerful force.
Rational thought disappears, which leads to Rioting... the need to vent at ... well anything that is even close to representative of the problem. Destruction comes next. Looting is a survival trait when we see destruction. Save it from destruction. I know that seems counter-intuitive, and there are opportunistic thieves, but our "hard-wiring" just takes over.
The reason you don't "get it" COL Charles Williams is because you are a rational thinker, and this is counter to rational thought. It's like trying to understand the thought processes of a crazy man... but magnified to a group level. Rioters aren't thinking. They're acting, and acting on a level they likely don't even understand.
The Right to Assemble.
The Right to Protest.
Combine those with Abuses of Power, and it just becomes a mathematical equation.
Get too many people together. Get them angry enough. Get one person in a position of trust who abuses said trust one too many times, and things will turn violent. Once that happens, and "civilization" turns off like a like switch.
Humans, as much as I hate to say this, have "animal instincts." I'm not saying we're animals (though technically we are). I'm saying that it pushed to far, we will revert to a state where we don't use our conscious minds, and instinct takes over. Survival is just a powerful force.
Rational thought disappears, which leads to Rioting... the need to vent at ... well anything that is even close to representative of the problem. Destruction comes next. Looting is a survival trait when we see destruction. Save it from destruction. I know that seems counter-intuitive, and there are opportunistic thieves, but our "hard-wiring" just takes over.
The reason you don't "get it" COL Charles Williams is because you are a rational thinker, and this is counter to rational thought. It's like trying to understand the thought processes of a crazy man... but magnified to a group level. Rioters aren't thinking. They're acting, and acting on a level they likely don't even understand.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
The problem is people as a whole are easily motivated to be violent in response to outcomes that they have little control over. I am concerned that this is becoming the norm in society. I agree with the freedom of expression, speech and the right to protest. I feel that the violence and looting draws the line. It is also alarming to me that a Mayor of a city may have encouraged in word the aforementioned violence.
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google