I'm about to do some emotional labor but today is a day I wish I had access to edibles. Or had a car so I could stock up on ice and margarita mixes.

So let's unpack why condemning or focusing on looting and/or rioting is utter, UTTER bullshit when it happens due to injustice.

On May 24th, there were no protests. There was no looting or rioting.

On May 25th George Floyd was murdered. The video of his death didn't go viral until the 26th.

Despite many Black people demanding/asking this video not be spread, it was. It was seen. Valid outrage ensued.

May 26th three of the five cops on the scene were fired. No arrests were made.

No arrests have been made.

Were this any ol' Joe Schmoe, if a video of them murdering someone went viral, they would have been arrested that day.

WERE IT ANY OL' JOE, with the number of witnesses, they would have been arrested and in jail on May 25th.

It is May 28th and there still have been no arrests.

If this were the very first incident of a white cop being videotaped killing an unarmed, handcuffed Black man *I* could almost understand the delay in action.

Oscar Grant was shoot in 2009. I am using him as a point of reference as far as *this* generation's trajectory.

*shot

But mind you I remember Rodney King. And there were many Rodney Kings before that.

So since 2009, I have lost count of videos I've personally seen of police mandated murders. I am still haunted by Eric Garner's murder.

When I close my eyes I can still hear him say I can't breathe. I can see his body limp. I can see the cops pretending he's not dead.

After Philando Castille, I said no more. I was done watching cops kill Black people snuff videos. Done. My heart, my mental health couldn't take not a single one more.

Philando was murdered in 2016.

How many more videos have there been? Tell me. How many?

Just since Philando? HOW MANY?

Now being Black is not a monolith. *points to Candance Owens*

But my parents had the "talk" with me with Rodney King. I had the talk w/my kids when Trayvon, when Sandra, when Freddie...

So this trauma with this technology has morphed the way we protect ourselves, how we consume trauma and how it impacts in a generational sense.

In short, the riots and looting isn't about George. It's about Oscar, Eric, Breonna...

Mind you this is just the history portion.

But the point of this thread is to tell you in the simplest way possible, why the arguments or even just saying Well, I'm on their side but the looting...

Well, I can understand but...

Both of these things are a tragedy...

Two wrongs don't make a right....

Are BS

One on side you have murderers being allowed to walk free. There is video of not only how easy it was to murder George in broad daylight but how complicit his co-conspirators were.

On the other hand, you have property theft and damage.

Property theft and damage by corporations and small businesses. Both will likely be repaid if/since they have insurance.

And they will probably get even more money back than they would have ever just straight selling their products.

A man murdered and his loved ones not getting the lowest bar of justice, an arrest

vs

Having to make an insurance claim

Now many ppl are making the point and it is a valid one, that people in this neighborhood are already living in food deserts.

It is only going to be harder now.

What did you think "No justice, No peace" meant?

And I know that might seem callous. But the other side of that is there has been little to no justice in what would be clear, open and shut cases of murder.

Not being inconvenienced. Or your hardship harder. Murdered.

For playing with a toy gun. Selling loose cigarettes.

Rioting, looting is the language of the unheard.

George wasn't heard, he wasn't listened to when he begged for his mother. For air, to breathe.

And they won't even arrest the man who did it?

Imagine that kind of anger? Especially when it's been going on your entire lifetime. Since before you were even a twinkle in your mother's eye.

Damaging property or even stealing it just so people will pay attention pales in comparison.

Mind you, THERE IS A FUCKING PANDEMIC.

This is happening when 100k people have died and their deaths were preventable. So many of those deaths were Black ppl.

Not being heard when they said I can't breathe.

Now, it's noon. It has been such an incredibly long March. The longest of Mondays.

I am about to have a beer.

If you appreciate the emotional labor of this thread, you can buy me a ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/melissab 

So FYI: If you are non-Black, and you find yourself in a conversation IRL or on Twitter and someone condemns the rioting and/or looting, simply say, "This is all happening bc they won't do the simplest thing--arrest him. Arrest him and there might be peace."

Cut/paste if needed.