Golly, Brian, what is the “civil” way for powerless angry citizens to respond to the continued slaughter of Black and brown Americans by a violent white supremacist militarized police force? Because burning shit down seems to be the only thing that gets anyone’s attention. https://twitter.com/brianschatz/status/1299833840584728578

Senator Schatz is one of the “good” ones. But nothing has been done for DECADES, and somehow the bodies piling up hasn’t been enough to get the attention of the ruling class. But you take some shit from Target and boy does everyone suddenly wake up and start the finger-wagging.

This is why it bothers me that dem pols are tripping over themselves to play the game of ensuring they can’t get attacked by the right for not properly condemning looting/etc: Rs will lie about it anyway & attack no matter what, so STOP trying to kick their bad-faith football. https://twitter.com/kevinmkruse/status/1300230236081094658

Rs are pushing Ds into a corner demanding they "denounce looting/rioting." This is a strategy to move the conversation away from the REAL problem, which is white supremacist police violence. This makes it easier to paint the "looters/rioters" doing this as just savage criminals.

Dems get cornered by fear of bad media coverage into saying "there's no excuse for looting, PERIOD. THOSE PEOPLE do not represent the peaceful protests we support." Maybe true, maybe not, but all that serves to do is "other"-ize rightfully angry communities as "savage looters."

It is very, very specifically designed to strip away the REASON Black communities have been thrown into unrest. It takes away the last voice desperate people feel they have left in an oppressive system. It paints them in the binary color of "criminal."

MLK said "a riot is the language of the unheard." By just falling into line and saying "Riots/looting/etc are never acceptable" Dems are breaking their own backs to move Republican goal posts to a place where Rs now get to say "the only solution is law and order."

Suddenly no one is talking anymore about the constant, merciless cold-blooded murders of Black Americans by those who are supposed to protect them. Suddenly all everyone is talking about is the morality of broken windows. Now the "looters" are "no different" than MAGA assassins.

I'm not saying D pols should promote rioting/looting/etc. I know it's a political reality that they have to condemn it. But don't condemn it according to the R playbook. Don't kick their football. Condemn it in a way that amplifies the reason WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. An example:

"We don't support looting. But we understand this unrest is happening because neglected communities have been pushed to the brink by a system that's FAILED THEM & their politicians have done NOTHING. Will Rs condemn police murder of Black Americans & work with us on a solution?"

Condemn looting and whatever, but also attach a mission statement to it, help show America that unrest doesn't happen because people are "criminals," it happens because white supremacist violence has pushed people to their limits. Then turn it back on Rs. Don't take their bait. /