The limitation of riots, moral questions aside, is that they cannot win, and their participants know it. Hence, rioting is not revolutionary but reactionary because it invites defeat. It involves an emotional catharsis, but it must be followed by a sense of futility.
What A Week
It was an interesting week and one I’d like to forget.
First, we had the holiday in the midst of a pandemic.
We are in varying stages of ending the COVID-19 lockdowns. Many stores are reopening along with parks, pools, and other outdoor facilities.
The cabin-crazy went outside and flooded beaches and resorts in a way we haven’t seen in a while. Caution was thrown to the wind. No masks – No social distancing. People seem to be saying – “enough is enough, I’ve had it”.
Are we over the hump? I don’t know. Will we have a 2nd wave? I don’t know.
I do know that we’ve lost a number of freedoms and I am pretty sure we aren’t getting them back anytime soon – if ever.
Then came the space launch …
My dream as a kid was to be an astronaut. I loved the idea of going into space. My parents got me a Mercury Space Capsule (cardboard) for Christmas one year. John Glenn was my hero.
So, you can guess what I was doing on Saturday. Yep, middle of the couch – centered up on the big screen TV. We launched two men into space on a commercial rocket for the first time ever. At lift-off, I uttered the words made famous by Gordon Cooper and added some of my own to it – “God speed John Glenn” and my own “God speed guys – have a great ride”.
When the launch was initiated, I could hear Walter Cronkite saying – “Go Baby Go”.
The look of the rocket itself was amazing. It had touch screen controls, retrievable boosters and the module was as sleek as a new Porsche. The white/black contrast looked like it had been designed by a Silicon Valley billionaire. Oh wait – it was….
And we ended the week with riots in every major city in the United States.
There’s a big difference between legitimate peaceful protesting and what they devolved into.
What happened in Minneapolis was a preventable tragedy. Why it happened, we don’t yet know. Rightfully, the officers were terminated and charges against them are being brought. The officers will have their day in court.
The rioting and looting are inexcusable. The people doing this are criminals. To them, their actions are not about right and wrong. They are what you can and can’t get away with. I’ve seen firsthand the damage down in my hometown of Atlanta.
Many of the businesses destroyed were minority owned. These people’s hopes and dreams have been shattered.
The American people are as polarized as ever. There’s a lot of blame to go around and rightly so. The future is in our hands. What we make of it, God only know.
More to come…
Bobby
