On Race and Rioting

I am not a fan of the riots that are taking place in Minnesota right now, but these days I find myself being more contemplative than judgmental.

Martin Luther King Jr. said that riots are the desperate voices of the unheard. Here in the USA, we have a race problem and the white race is not listening to the black race. The white race is still quieting and oppressing the black race. The white race is killing the black race.

The riots in Minnesota are an extreme action by a desperate people.

If members of our own groups -- family, churches, community -- were being systematically targeted and killed, we would expect society (government) to intervene and bring about justice. If that failed to happen (repeatedly), wouldn't we eventually take matters into our own hands to seek justice and revenge?

While I do not condone the riots, I understand why they are taking place. 

Don't tell me they should have peaceful protests. Peaceful protests (Colin Kaepernick) have been condemned as anti-American and gone unheard. People were (and still are) more offended by the protest than they are by the injustice being protested.

I have read far too many comments by people of the privileged class that simply do not understand the injustices faced by the black members of our society. 

I really don't have the words to express my emotions on this.

I am weary of a country that is so divided.

We are Republicans or Democrats.

We are conservatives or liberals.

We are blacks or whites or Latinos or Asians.

Our states are not united.

Our people are not united.

We are no longer The United States of America.

We are no longer we.

I am angry.

And I am so very sad.

I have no words ... and even if I did, I'm afraid they would go unheard.

John