The Coronavirus Fifteen Weeks Later - From Mob Rule and Chaos to Lunacy

We've seen the mob rule. We've seen the chaos. We learned that if you are upset it is perfectly permissible to destroy and deface public property and statues. At least, many Democratic mayors and governors seem to think so. We also learned that it is also permissible to take over part of a major US city, if you are distressed enough.

The City of Minneapolis has voted unanimously to get rid of their police department and replace it with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. Meanwhile, the 6/26/20 New York Times reported that one neighborhood in Minneapolis, Powderhorn Park, are "wary of privilege" and "fight the habit of calling the police." The neighborhood is known as an area where "progressive" (leftist) activists live. Recently, hundreds of homeless people, with their tents, have moved into the neighborhood's local park. Sometimes, progressive attitudes butt up against reality.

One mother of two, said she did not feel comfortable with permitting her two children go into the park to play, "I'm not being judgmental." No, heaven forbid. We would never want to make any judgments about anything. (No, I am not blaming every homeless person for their situation.) "It's not personal. It's just not safe." Another woman said: "I am afraid. I know my neighbors are around, but I'm not feeling grounded in my city at all. Anything could happen." Yet, the move into lunacy was not far behind, as some of the women interviewed by the Times "agreed to let any property damage, including to their homes, go ignored." And, if there was a risk of harm to someone, they agreed to call the American Indian Movement, which has been policing their own community for some years.

But my "favorite" lunatic was a man (likely white, as the article tells us when someone is black) assaulted by two teenage boys. One pointed a gun at his chest, demanding his car keys. In his haste, he handed over his house keys. The two eventually stole another car. He called the police, but then: "Been thinking more about it. I regret calling the police. It was my instinct but I wish it hadn't been. I put those boys in danger of death by calling the cops." The numbers vary, but one site said that, in 2015, there were 53 million contacts between the police and civilians. Recently, the police shoot and kill about 1000 people yearly. 235 blacks were shot and killed by police in 2019. Yet, this man (like Chad Sanders in the June 7 post) seems to believe that all interactions between the police and blacks result in death.

The Times wanted to be sure their message could not go unnoticed by any reader. The article tells us that George Floyd's death "has awakened many white Americans to a reality that people of color have known their whole lives: The scores of police killings they have seen in the news in recent years were not one-off incidents, but part of a systemic problem of the dehumanization of black people by the police." Notice that the Times says "scores" of killings. Notice they don't say "hundreds" or "thousands" of deaths. Nor do they talk about the much higher number of whites killed by police. Nor do they tell us that men are 16 times more likely to die from police involvement than women. But they don't want you to actually think. They don't want you to ask why men have such a higher risk compared to women. Might it be that women are far less likely to have interactions with the police as compared to men?

Getting back to our armed robbery victim who regretted calling the police. I guess if I were to ask him, he would tell me it is better to let those two teenage boys continue to carry around a gun and rob people instead of involving the police, even if it means the next time things may get out of control and someone is shot or killed. Just imagine if the man was, in fact, shot and killed. I can hear the wife now: "I'm not about to cooperate with the police." The man did tell the Times "So I would have lost my car. So what? At least no one would have been killed." This is lunacy. Likely, this man, like many others, has white guilt. After all, we regularly hear that white people need to "check their privilege."

Who murdered George Floyd? Did you know that it was Senate Republicans? Nancy Pelosi told us. The House and Senate had two different bills dealing with police reform. The House, where Democrats control, passed their bill. Pelosi: "We're saying no choke holds. They're (Senate Republicans) not saying no choke holds." And: "So far they're trying to get away with murder, actually. The murder of George Floyd." A friend who is a retired cop, explained that choke holds are a very effective tool in controlling a dangerous situation. Often, batons will not work. Tasers will not always work. But a choke hold can incapacitate someone resisting arrest, giving the police precious seconds to be able to handcuff that person without having to use more deadly force. My friend was trained in the procedure and had it done on him as part of the training. What happened to George Floyd was not a choke hold. What happened to George Floyd was unacceptable, and likely unacceptable to the vast majority of police officers.

I was watching the local NBC News the other night. They reported on the passage of the House bill on police reform. They commented that the bill was not likely to pass in the Republican controlled Senate. What they did not tell their viewers was that the Democrats in the Senate blocked the Republican bill from coming to a vote. The Democrats were able to block the bill because it takes 60 votes (by tradition, it is not in the Constitution) to allow a measure to come to a floor vote. The measure then needs only a simple majority to pass. (Harry Reid, when he was Senate Majority Leader, was said to have used the "nuclear option" by doing away with the filibuster for confirming lower court judges. Then Mitch McConnell, as Majority Leader, returned the favor and did away with the 60 vote rule for Supreme Court Justices.) Had the Republican bill passed the Senate, the two bills would have gone to a joint committee to see if the they could work out their differences. But the Democrats did not want that. They wanted their way or nothing.

I actually wrote to NBC to complain about their one-sided reporting. Not surprisingly, I heard nothing back. But I am confident that NBC was comfortable in only presenting one side. After all, Fox News, commenting on a story by NewsBusters, reported that none of the major networks reported that evening on the Democrats blocking the Senate bill. They only reported the passage of the House bill. Yet, we all know people who rely entirely on the mainstream media for their understanding of the world. Even then, many absorb what they hear or read without further analysis.

Some numbers. Another nearly 1.5 million people filed for unemployment. That brings the fourteen week total to approximately 47,240,000 unemployment claims. As we know, Biden has committed to picking a woman as his running mate; and lately there has been increasing pressure to appoint a black woman. Yet, a NY Times poll found that 80% of registered voters said race should not be a factor in the selection of a VP. Even 75% of blacks agreed.

Worldwide, it is now being reported that there have been over 10 million cases and over 500,000 deaths from the coronavirus. In the US we have had 2,637,077 cases and 128,437 deaths. New York has 416,787 cases and 31,484 deaths. Then we have California with 216,089 cases and 5,935 deaths, New Jersey with 176,354 cases and 15,118 deaths, Texas with 153,175 cases and 2,416 deaths, and Illinois with 142,776 cases and 7,089 deaths. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania trail in cases but have more deaths than California and Texas. Los Angeles County has 97,894 cases and 3,305 deaths. Fox News noted how the mainstream media complains that the US (read Trump) is doing a worse job of controlling the virus than Europe. But, reporting on Johns Hopkins data, they show the rate of deaths per 100,000 people. Belgium leads with 85.15, then the UK with 65.14, Spain 60.63, Italy with 57.38, Sweden with 51.36 and France with 44.42. Then the US with 38.03 deaths per 100,000. But these numbers do not make the US (Trump) look bad enough.

Finally, if "qualified immunity" is no longer given to police, they have no reason to do things that will put their life savings, family and self at risk. Apparently, there is an email going around recommending that officers not get involved in active situations. "The officer that shows up to take the report and not prevent, the rape, the murder, the wife and child beatings, etc etc makes the same amount of money and does not subject himself and his family to all we see going on today, jail, lawsuits, violence, etc." I cannot confirm that this email is actually circulating among police. But my friend tells me that, for those who haven't decided to retire, many are thinking like this. Vigilantism can't help but be on the rise.