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Ignoring the Costs of the Rioting
Townhall.com ^ | August 4, 2020 | Robert Knight

Posted on 08/04/2020 5:05:11 AM PDT by Kaslin

The Chinese Communist coronavirus isn’t the only epidemic in the land.

America’s news media are suffering mass amnesia, stuffing down a memory hole the extent of destruction from the ongoing Black Lives Matter/Antifa race riots.

Apart from lots of happy stories depicting the whole country kneeling to the BLM’s anti-white, Marxist demands, you won’t see much about the real costs.

It’s gotten so bad that Rep. Jim Jordan, Ohio Republican, unleashed an eight-minute video during a House committee that was grilling Attorney General William Barr on July 28.

The video begins with a mashup of a dozen or so reporters and politicians repeating the phrase “peaceful protests” or “peaceful protesters” followed by riot footage. The next portion features the widow of slain St. Louis retired police captain David Dorn, a father of five who was killed while responding to an alarm at a pawnshop. As she speaks, scenes of mob violence unfold.

The effect is devastating. Which is why the video has come under attack. CNN’s Jake Tapper drew some blood, showing that two CNN reporters who use the phrase “peaceful protests” are taken out of context. He’s right. Both reporters note that while the daytime protests they were covering were peaceful, they were followed by nighttime violence. That part was omitted. Welcome to what happens to conservatives when they’re interviewed by Mr. Tapper’s network.

But two wrongs don’t make a right, and we’ll give you this one, Jake. You had the guts to report how similar editing created the colossal lie that President Trump praised white supremacists in Charlottesville even though he unequivocally condemned them.

However, Mr. Tapper does not dent the Jordan video’s powerful message. Extreme media bias pervades riot coverage and political stories. Just Google “Trump.” The media are really good at covering up what they don’t want known. They’ve sugar-coated abortion for decades while serving up the party line about “choice.” They’ve played down horrific black-on-black urban violence, focusing instead on a handful of police brutality cases. They’re doing the same with the current riots.

“If it bleeds, it leads” isn’t in force now. If Americans actually saw the extent of lawlessness in Democrat-run cities, they might realize who’s responsible.

Given the Democrats’ wink and a nod to the rioters while defunding police, it’s not a reach to describe BLM/antifa as the militant wing of the Democrat Party. Those are not Young Republicans out smashing windows, looting stores, burning buildings, beating up people and overturning police cars.

I’ve searched in vain for news about the riots’ overall cost. The media seem profoundly incurious. How many people have been killed? How many police officers have been injured or died? How many businesses have been destroyed? How much will it cost to fix everything that’s been broken?

There’s anecdotal evidence. Between May 25 and June 8, at least 17 people were killed in what the media call “unrest.” More than 700 law enforcers were injured by early June.

Property damage has run into the billions, and we’re not done yet. Portland continues to simmer, and cities explode nightly, like Richmond this past week.

Looters have struck at least 250 CVS pharmacies and 350 Walgreens nationwide, according to an insurance website. Crime is out of control in several major cities, with Chicago enduring double-digit murder numbers on weekends. In Los Angeles, Democrats plan to cut the police budget by more than $100 million despite homicides rising by 250 percent in early June.

Since we don’t have reliable, comprehensive data, let’s go to the nation’s largest city for a snapshot.

New York Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio has cut $1 billion from the NYPD’s FY 2021 budget and disbanded the 600-member plainclothes police unit, even though between June 1 and June 30, shootings increased by 130% over June 2019. Murders rose by more than 30 percent, burglaries increased by 118 percent and auto thefts rose by 52 percent.

As for New York’s finest – you know, the guys in blue who ran into the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks, most of whom never came out – here are some of their costs.

Since May 28, “a total of 458 officers of all ranks have been injured,” according to spokesperson Sgt. Mary Frances O’Donnell. “Seven officers were admitted to the hospital, 303 were treated and released from the hospital, five were treated by EMS and 150 refused medical attention. Forty-seven officers remain out sick due to their injuries.”

From May 28 to July 22, “303 NYPD vehicles have been vandalized during the protests,” she reported in an email, adding that, “14 vehicles were a total loss due to arson and condemned.”

The damage – so far – is estimated at $996,700. That’s just for the department.

“The NYPD has seen a surge in the number of officers filing for retirement,” said Sgt. O’Donnell.

Well, why not? When you work for a mayor who hates your guts and the media treat you as the bad guys, why risk your life?

As for the rest of us, just because the media have amnesia, we shouldn’t forget the real costs of the Democrats’ experiment in street justice.

Or the ongoing sacrifices of the thin blue line.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: civilunrest; demonrats; looting; rioting; riots; violence

1 posted on 08/04/2020 5:05:11 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

The market ignores nothing. Commercial and residential real estate are rapidly declining in value in the marxist Democrat controlled urban areas that have had riots and looting. The white population in those areas is also decreasing. Just another sign that America is not only divided by race but it no longer has a reasonable consensus of values to unite it.

This coming election will be more bitter and consequential than the 1860 election.


2 posted on 08/04/2020 5:15:42 AM PDT by allendale
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To: allendale

Excellent post.

“The market ignores nothing.”

Now that is a clear, concise statement that liberals need to learn. They need to learn just what it means. They’re getting a “crash” course in it right now, but they’re missing the point of the lesson.


3 posted on 08/04/2020 6:04:27 AM PDT by proud American in Canada (In these trying times, "Give Me Liberty or Give me Death!")
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To: Kaslin

The media is corrupt, it’s time for billionaires to buy out a major network so people can get the truth.


4 posted on 08/04/2020 6:06:08 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
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To: Kaslin

How are the rioters coordinating? Where are they getting instructions, materiel, funding, etc.? I say cut off the head of the snake.


5 posted on 08/04/2020 6:09:18 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: 1Old Pro

Billionaires have too much green matter and a poverty of grey matter.

They incorrectly think they are exempt from federal wealth taxation.


6 posted on 08/04/2020 6:13:03 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Brian Griffin

Billionaires have too much green matter and a poverty of grey matter.

Don Jr. should be building a coalition to buy out Comcast.

7 posted on 08/04/2020 6:14:59 AM PDT by 1Old Pro (#openupstateny)
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To: P.O.E.

There is no head. They share ideas via the Internet, as do Middle Eastern terrorists.


8 posted on 08/04/2020 6:15:35 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: 1Old Pro

I have proposed router based metropolitan area networks.

No monthly charges involved.

The Third World and the USA need them.


9 posted on 08/04/2020 6:17:50 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: Kaslin

BFL


10 posted on 08/04/2020 6:44:02 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Brian Griffin

But somebody’s coming up with the tactics, where to meet, etc.

Happened upon a Twitter feed from some organization making homemade shields for rioters. Was a bit laughable, but whoever organized that should be brought it for aiding & abetting.

I know Soros’ does his dirty work through mazes of interlocking organizations, but start putting legal pressure on them. Apply RICO.

Somebody please do SOMEthing.


11 posted on 08/04/2020 7:04:07 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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