Long hot summer 060120

The country is entering another long hot summer of more hurricanes, rampant disease and increasingly destructive civil disturbances.  Riots from north to south and east to west on a scale not seen since the turbulent sixties of civil rights and anti-war demonstrations.

In1990 I had a discussion on race relations with a bright 20 something-black man.  My position was that there was great progress in race relation, he disputed my hypothesis.  It made an interesting debate.  I eventually came to understand that we were coming from different direction. We both were from the south, but with different experiences and age groups.

I was raise in the south but by the 50s I was a reporter on a small town newspaper.  By the sixties I had worked through a couple larger papers to become a wire service reporter covering the southeast. Over those years, along with other reporters I saw some of the worst of human nature. TV news was in its infancy at the time and real press reporters reported and didn’t become activist, opinions were for editorial pages.  Readers of editorials took time to study and build emotional responses.

The Klan (KKK) was still strong at the time with local politics openly corrupt; both conditions created environmental dynamics of ignoring, fear, acceptance or bragging. Interviewing bystanders when the body of a black man wrapped in chains was discovered in local waters I was told, “You know them ‘niggers’ they always steal more chain than they can swim with,” the crowd enjoyed the joke.  It was the time when minorities across the county faced discrimination and abuse regardless of race, creed and religion.  The Klan was an equal opportunity hater; they target blacks, Indians, Jews, Catholics and anyone that spoke out against their actions.  It had infiltrated the very heart of white Christian society, from the police to the pulpit.

President Truman integrated the military and President Eisenhower extended integration into civil society while the FBI broke the back of the Klan.  Segregation however still held the heart and minds of white majorities.  Martin Luther King led a civil rights revolution across the south in a series of freedom rides.  Those riders were met with hostile local populations; police and officials reacted brutally ignoring the message.  Media exposure did change some minds and light began to shine in dark places.

While walking alone through a lower class neighborhood an elderly lady store keeper sent out several local toughs to chase me away. A reporter friend was badly beaten while photographing police actions.  Unfortunately his publication made a hero of him and published his picture.  This made him a target for every mob along the route.  Legislation began to be passed and enforced by DOJ.  Local officials found creative ways to circumvent legislation and suppress minority voting until federal hammers fell, then they became even more creative to hide suppression.

About this time Uncle Sam wanted me as food for his cannons, ultimately tripping over my feet in Vietnam.  There I knew a number of minorities and listened to their stories.  Feeding cannons I was shipped back to Fort Bragg for necessary repairs.  I got tired of medical holding companies and asked the Army for a desk job while waiting for medical clearance.  The war was chewing up talent and Army was desperate enough to find a round hole I could fit.  As a former newsman I was temporarily assigned to run the post newspaper.

Shortly after reporting to my new office the country was torn apart in a series of civil disturbances and anti-war demonstrations. Fort Bragg became the center of federal response.  I became part of an advance team that went ahead of the troops assigned to crowd control.  With my past exposure and new experiences I developed an understanding mob dynamics.  Standing outside of the emotions I watched the best intentions manipulated by special interest, turn to violence.

Local officials, unable to understand the issues, often over reacted and made bad situations worse.  At some point the riots exceeded Ft. Bragg and National Guards’ ability to respond.  The Army dipped into it training base and constructed units from graduating trainees commanded by graduating officers with less six months experience.  With effective federal intervention and leadership the riots came to an end and calm settled on the surface.  There was progress for minorities who gained an education and assimilated into the main steam. 

I was shipped back to war and lost track of my country.  When I was debating the young black man in 1990 I assumed that the civil rights progress of the 70s was continuing.  Although my young friend could be considered in the elite, his view was of little changed local condition.  My view has merged with his in this century realizing there has been regression in American society.

Conservative elements are attempting return the country to the 19th century where Elite's ruled by oppressing minorities, labor and ‘anarchist’ while profiting from their virtual serfdom.  Causation of the 2020 riots are many and more complex than current Elite's can fathom.  The roots of today’s disturbances lie with the 20th century’s incomplete reforms.  The ethics of our greatest generation died out with the generation.  President Clinton lied for fun to see how much he could get away with. The 9-11 attack shocked American self-image and Bush II invented evidence to justify aggressive war against the world.  A war that alienated friends, united foes and we are still losing. 

According to white supremacist Obama’s greatest crime was to be black.  Despite Trump’s assertions the last president America elected was Eisenhower, (everyone liked Ike) ever since we have been voting against the other guy.  Trump really owes his election to aversion to Hillary, not to his self-proclaimed popularity.  All these factors contribute to public distrust and frustration with the government. Many local governments have gerrymander-voting districts to dilute minority influence in elections.  Legislation effectively made law enforcement actions above the law even to the point of making recording of police actions illegal in some jurisdictions.  Some police push this authority to shoot first and ask no questions.  This was not ignored by minorities but didn’t incite wide-ranging disturbances.  The difference is that country is now covered by surveillance cameras not controlled by governments with images widely available to the public via social media.

Laws have also been passed with poorly written self-defense statues that allowed defense against murder charges.   Again the end effect was more public distrust and frustration.  The problem is that more people are starting to see themselves as minorities.  The trigger for the current disturbances was the 'alleged' police murder of another black man that was caught by multiple cameras.  The fact that the jurisdiction attempted another cover up then over reacted with police brutality and attacks on the media incited protest across the nation.

The difference between the disturbance of the 60s and 2020 is federal reaction.  During the 60s the government made changes and troops were sent in to bring peace.  The Trump response is completely different from the past.  His rhetoric is to incite white supremacist and evangelical movements for campaign support.  Once aroused his followers move to the extremes of legislation and violence.  His war on the media is leading to police attacks on working reporters covering the demonstrations.   Some police see his tweets as condoning ever-increasing police force that Trump not only condones but also will pardoned.   He has corrupted and politicized the justice system to the point that the public no longer expects justice.

In the sixties the National Guard and regular Army deployed to bring peace.  Trump promises to take the Guard away from governors and send the Army to violently suppress dissent along partisan lines.  The military of the 60s was three times its present strength.  Even fighting a war the Army had resources to react to wide spread domestic disturbances.  Like the regulars the Guard of today is better trained to fight a war but with almost 20 years in combat their skills of peaceful crowd control may have eroded, requiring extensive retraining.   Although the Army has half a million soldiers only a small percentage have the experience to quickly train for civil duties.  Without that training soldiers may automatically follow Trump’s deadly force orders.  Another consideration is that almost half of the soldiers represent minority populations.  It is suspected that Trump is attempting to declare martial law in blue states for suppression of voting in the coming election.

 While the trigger was police brutality against a black man and lack of official reaction, the disturbances have become inclusive of others abuses of power.  Minorities as well as majorities are demonstrating with by-partisan support.  The demonstrations have also mobilized extremist groups.  Civil unrest follows Newton’s law of, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  Trump’s divisive policies of divide and get reelected are directly responsible for the current crisis.  It is unlikely that Trump will accept his responsibility in driving the nation into mob rule but politicians must understand that once elected they represent all the people, not just a particular party or class. 

Once this is accepted they must end their divisive rhetoric and craft legislation that serves all the people, not just partisan extremism.  They must tear down the “Blue Wall” that protects police brutality.  Judges must be appointed for ethical rulings base on fair laws, not extreme political ideology soundness.  Congress must cross the isle to develop laws that serve the nation, not extremist ideologies.  Politicians at all levels must work to end government waste and corruption.  They must make the effort to hear the voices that are unspoken, not just those of the loud and rich. The country can be saved but politicians must be held accountable for their failures to govern in the interest of the people and ultimately the nation. 

Political accountability is the product of free and fair elections. It is utopian idea but there should be a law that elected officials must tell the truth.  It’s criminal to lie to the police, in court, and to Congress so why not hold elected officials to the same standard before the people.  They should go to jail and not collect two hundred dollars, not to a Club Fed but to hard time so they can learn reality first hand from the failures of their policies. 

We shouldn’t condone mob violence but we should strive to understand its dynamics.  Such civil disturbances do not happen in a vacuum it is the result of cause and effect, a political failure followed by disillusionment, disenchantment and reactions.  Classic cause and effect is of a failure of trust in government.  Governments create their own enemies foreign and domestic, often by partisan political objectives or simply to win elections. 

In general Americans are easily manipulated from years of exposure to soap commercial, political disinformation and partisan agitprop (agitation propaganda) via social media.  We often hear what we want to hear, in an information world we do not ask for clarification.