If someone from the region wants to chime in (over there), it might be a good idea to point out a couple of the contradictions exposed by this thread.
1: "Riots aren't protests"
2A advocates rest their position firmly on the belief that the only way they can have a government which is responsive to the needs of the people is if the people are capable of intimidating their government. We have seen multiple armed rallies within the past year which employ this tactic, from coast to coast. What makes BLM different from a gang of MAGAs marching into their statehouse with rifles? The aim of both is to instill fear in the government to force them to listen to the demands of the people.
The MAGA people get let off without a scratch because they are generally privileged within our hierarchical system. The cops let them walk right into the statehouse unharmed, and walk right out again without any trouble. The BLM protesters get met with teargas and rubber bullets before they even reach the threshhold, and then they get blamed for fighting back. They get mocked because the situation necessitates them to have medics on hand, and armor to defend against the weapons the police use against them daily.
2A people masturbate all the time about fighting against an overbearing tyrannical government, but it seems the government really doesn't have a problem with them, and even welcomes their interventions when constitutionalism and procedure gets in the way. Meanwhile, here you have people actually rebelling against the tyrannical conditions in their cities. Why would opinions about this suddenly be so sour? Are right wing 2A folks jealous they'll never be able to live out their misguided fantasy? Are they scared that black people might win some autonomy for once?
Second, what is a riot other than a protest of private property relations?
2: But they're destroying businesses?
Tell me, who do those businesses support politically? Are they rooting for the reformers? Are they providing material support to the campaigns of people trying to fix these cities? Or are they funding candidates who will cut taxes and reduce services while driving gentrification, raising rents, and using the police to crack down on anybody who doesn't fit into the model of a perfectly clean, yuppie paradise?
Businesses (particularly of the Walmart and Target variety) and real estate developers are extremely plugged into the political systems of these cities, and are more responsible than any individual for supporting the status quo which these people are rebelling against. No one sheds a tear when a homeless person is evicted from their tent, or when spikes are installed under the overpass to prevent them sleeping outside of the rain, but it is a tragedy when a business gets smashed while the owner sleeps comfortably in their bed.
The focus on businesses is a distraction. Businesses have only been struggling for months. The people have been struggling since time immemorial. The focus on jobs is a distraction, the jobs were obliterated by Covid, and now it is a buyer's market. Nobody gives a shit about the minimum wage jobs offered by CVS or Wendys, or Uber. Millions of people are out of work, and hundreds will line up for any job available and accept the lowest wages they can get. That shit is slavery.
Yeah, but it is always better if someone has some relevant post history and can back up their arguments with other local references - rather than someone like me with a cursory understanding of Appalachian life and a username which literally references living in one of those "coastal elite" states. It is not hard to spot somebody who has never posted in a sub before who is suddenly promoting an ideological agenda.
If someone from the region wants to chime in (over there), it might be a good idea to point out a couple of the contradictions exposed by this thread.
1: "Riots aren't protests"
2A advocates rest their position firmly on the belief that the only way they can have a government which is responsive to the needs of the people is if the people are capable of intimidating their government. We have seen multiple armed rallies within the past year which employ this tactic, from coast to coast. What makes BLM different from a gang of MAGAs marching into their statehouse with rifles? The aim of both is to instill fear in the government to force them to listen to the demands of the people.
The MAGA people get let off without a scratch because they are generally privileged within our hierarchical system. The cops let them walk right into the statehouse unharmed, and walk right out again without any trouble. The BLM protesters get met with teargas and rubber bullets before they even reach the threshhold, and then they get blamed for fighting back. They get mocked because the situation necessitates them to have medics on hand, and armor to defend against the weapons the police use against them daily.
2A people masturbate all the time about fighting against an overbearing tyrannical government, but it seems the government really doesn't have a problem with them, and even welcomes their interventions when constitutionalism and procedure gets in the way. Meanwhile, here you have people actually rebelling against the tyrannical conditions in their cities. Why would opinions about this suddenly be so sour? Are right wing 2A folks jealous they'll never be able to live out their misguided fantasy? Are they scared that black people might win some autonomy for once?
Second, what is a riot other than a protest of private property relations?
2: But they're destroying businesses?
Tell me, who do those businesses support politically? Are they rooting for the reformers? Are they providing material support to the campaigns of people trying to fix these cities? Or are they funding candidates who will cut taxes and reduce services while driving gentrification, raising rents, and using the police to crack down on anybody who doesn't fit into the model of a perfectly clean, yuppie paradise?
Businesses (particularly of the Walmart and Target variety) and real estate developers are extremely plugged into the political systems of these cities, and are more responsible than any individual for supporting the status quo which these people are rebelling against. No one sheds a tear when a homeless person is evicted from their tent, or when spikes are installed under the overpass to prevent them sleeping outside of the rain, but it is a tragedy when a business gets smashed while the owner sleeps comfortably in their bed.
The focus on businesses is a distraction. Businesses have only been struggling for months. The people have been struggling since time immemorial. The focus on jobs is a distraction, the jobs were obliterated by Covid, and now it is a buyer's market. Nobody gives a shit about the minimum wage jobs offered by CVS or Wendys, or Uber. Millions of people are out of work, and hundreds will line up for any job available and accept the lowest wages they can get. That shit is slavery.
It’s not like they can prove you aren’t from WV.
Yeah, but it is always better if someone has some relevant post history and can back up their arguments with other local references - rather than someone like me with a cursory understanding of Appalachian life and a username which literally references living in one of those "coastal elite" states. It is not hard to spot somebody who has never posted in a sub before who is suddenly promoting an ideological agenda.