Steven Ahle| Opinion| Rep Ilhan Omar says that the people of Minneapolis have a right to be angry. Yes, they absolutely do.
However, they do not have the right to riot, nor does it make any logical sense to burn their own city down.
All of the actions taking place in the city are nothing short of reprehensible.
It is understandable to want justice for someone who lost their life at the hands of police officers through no fault of his own. From the video of what happened prior to the policeman placing his knee on George Floyd’s neck, it does not take very much to see that he was putting up no resistance and therefore a knee to the neck is even more reprehensible.
However, last night, businesses were ransacked or burned or both.
One man was even viciously attacked for Having a Trump sticker on his car.
At this point, you’d have to be a halfwit to justify their actions.
Omar said:
“Shooting rubber bullets and tear gas at unarmed protesters when there are children present should never be tolerated. Ever. What is happening tonight in our city is shameful. Police need to exercise restraint, and our community needs space to heal.”
So, what is she saying? Should the police just step aside and allow mayhem to take over the situation. Furthermore, what about the parents who took their children to see, and even participate in looting, muggings, and arson of stores?
I think it is fair that they at least be consistent.
The violence and riots were significantly worse on Wednesday night as numerous businesses were completely destroyed, stores looted, buildings burnt to the ground, and other acts of violence were committed.
During the violent riots, Omar tweeted: “I am heartbroken. Horrified at the needless death of George Floyd, another innocent black man murdered by police in our community. Frustrated that we keep finding ourselves in this position as a city. Angry that justice still seems out of reach.”
“Our anger is just. Our anger is warranted. And our priority right now must be protecting one another,” Omar continued. “Violence only begets violence. More force is only going to lead to more lives lost and more devastation. We must prioritize the safety of our community. We can rebuild, but we cannot bring back lives.”
The first three tweets from Omar were sent out all within the span of a minute. Approximately 20 minutes later, after she started to face backlash over her remarks, Omar added: “We should and must protest peacefully. But let us end the cycle of violence now.”
