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1) To reject violence is laudable. It should never come to this.
2) To fail to understand political violence historically is stupid and dangerous.
2) To fail to understand political violence historically is stupid and dangerous.
3) In 1676, when the colonial governor of VA, William Berkeley, refused to protect colonists from the Indians, Nathaniel Bacon raised a militia & enlisted a Native American tribe who were all too happy to help wipe out other Indians. Berkeley declared Bacon a rebel after his . .
3) contd . . . men & the former allied Indians fought. The colonists won, mercilessly. Bacon was even elected to the assembly, but Berkeley humiliated him. After more back and forth, Bacon & his men marched into Jamestown & burned Berkeley's house & much of the town.
4) Was Berkeley out of control? Yes. But why? Because gubment didn't do its required job of protecting settlers against Indians.
5) Leap forward to the 1960s. Anyone remember those years? We had these little things called anti-war marches. Many were peaceful. Some were not.
5) Leap forward to the 1960s. Anyone remember those years? We had these little things called anti-war marches. Many were peaceful. Some were not.
6) You might remember Chicago 1968 where 20,000 "protestors" fought 11,000 Chicago cops, national guard, and FBI. Blood flowed freely on both sides (mostly the "protestors"). In the end they were dispersed, but historians have called them heroic for their motives.
7) To say, stupidly in my opinion, "That's not who we are" is absurd. Violent protest is EXACTLY who "we are." It's in our blood. From the burning of the "Gaspee" in 1772, John Brown's raid (1859) for which he was rightfully hanged, to Preston Brooks beating Charles Sumner . . .
7) contd . . . on the floor of the US Senate, violence has been a part of America's heritage of protest. For better or worse.
8) Sometimes it got a lot worse, as with the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, but in the 60s there were over 100 race riots across America.
8) Sometimes it got a lot worse, as with the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, but in the 60s there were over 100 race riots across America.
9) You might remember the Bonus Army of 1932---some 47,000 peaceful marchers (17,000 vets asking for early cash-out of their service certificates. How were those peaceful protestors handled?
Herbert Hoover sent the US Army under Douglas MacArthur to clear them out . . .
Herbert Hoover sent the US Army under Douglas MacArthur to clear them out . . .
9) . . . by force.
10) You might know about the Irish protest of 1863, where in protest of the draft of Irish for the Union army, thousands of New Yorkers ransacked the wealthier sections of town.
The Army used Gatling Guns for the first time to put down the rebellion.
10) You might know about the Irish protest of 1863, where in protest of the draft of Irish for the Union army, thousands of New Yorkers ransacked the wealthier sections of town.
The Army used Gatling Guns for the first time to put down the rebellion.
10) contd . . . Over 100 were killed, maybe twice that number.
11) Again, the point is not to glorify violence or protests or riots but to point out that they are a part of the American fabric, and to act like bad policies do not spark violent protests is silly.
11) Again, the point is not to glorify violence or protests or riots but to point out that they are a part of the American fabric, and to act like bad policies do not spark violent protests is silly.
12) That's exactly "who we are."
