Historically, demonstrators have brought positive changes to our great nation. Demonstrations brought us the right for all Americans to vote, civil rights, workers’ rights and more. Those demonstrations and marches were peaceful. Many of those demonstrations have been led by some of our nations greatest leaders.

For more than three months now we have seen peaceful demonstrations turn into riots. Those rioters looted and burned businesses, destroyed government buildings, killed and wounded police officers, burned a church, and  destroyed statues of President Lincoln and  President Grant.

In case rioters missed it in their history classes in their high schools, colleges, and universities, or maybe they forgot, it was Lincoln whose Emancipation Proclamation helped bring and end to our nation’s greatest sin — slavery. It was General Grant who won the Civil War and defeated the Confederacy.

Mayors and governors have tremendous responsibilities and authorities. Local mayors and our states’  governors swear a solemn oath to “support and defend.” Those same words are in the oath that our soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen, and members of the Coast Guard also repeat as they are being sworn in.

It is difficult to understand how so many mayors and governors can let our cities burn. How can these mayors and governors let rioters burn their cities and occupy city blocks in those cities and kill and or wound law enforcement officers and hurt innocent bystanders?

You must also ask how governors in these states refuse to let law enforcement and National Guard members help restore peace. Peace officers aren’t allowed to do their job and a National Guard presence and assistance isn’t accepted.

Americans have united  to condemn the death, at the hands of police, of our fellow citizens in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and anyplace else that lives were taken.

We have the best law enforcement personnel in the world. Yes, a very small number of those professionals take lives or severely injure those they are to be taking into custody. It is said good law enforcement professionals dislike bad cops more than anyone else.

Peace officers who break the law in this great country are held accountable and have and will be brought to justice. In our great country, the phrase “And justice for all” is a promise —not the providence of a single class or race.

What Americans want to know is when will the violence stop in our cities? Americans support demonstrations, assemblies, marches, and protests that are peaceful.

The vast majority of Americans do not support violence and riots in our streets. The majority of Americans don’t support looting and stealing . The vast majority of Americans are scared when they hear about occupations and riots in our cites.

Americans cannot believe that some of America’s elected officials have established a bail fund to get rioters out of jail and want to cut funding to keep our streets safe. It’s hard to believe mayors and governors are silent in condemning such violence.

The rioters have a right to legal representation, a speedy trial, and freedom when, and if, a jury of their peers acquits them. If they burn a business , destroy government property, assault or kill police officers, beat  or kill our fellow citizens, or occupy public or private property, Americans expect those rioters to be brought to justice.

So when will America’s mayors and governors live up to the oath that America’s sons and daughters in our military have taken? Our guess is that will happen when they hear your voices, read your texts, emails, tweets, and witness peaceful demonstrators calling for safe streets in our cities and towns.

If that doesn’t awaken the mayors and governors, they will change their tune once they see and hear that polls taken across America, and in the cities and states they serve, show Americans want the violence, occupations, killing, and unrest to end.

You can count on this: Mayors and governors like their jobs. They want to keep them. Those pollsters  and staffers that work for those elected officials want to keep their jobs, too.

Americans live in a great country. We are free to express ourselves. You are free to demonstrate, text, Tweet, call, or write to those mayors and governors and let them know you expect those who represent you to keep you safe and protect your families, homes, place of work, place of worship, and government buildings Let them know you support our law enforcement personnel, the use of our National Guard, and fairness and equality for all.

 

Image Sources

  • Aftermath of riots: Pixaby