In the wake of a police-involved shooting of a black man Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, angry mobs of vandals and looters have taken to the streets under the banner of Black Lives Matter (BLM). More than 20 police officers and many more civilians have been attacked and injured. Vehicles — including police cars, civilian cars, buses, and semi-trucks — have been damaged or destroyed. Stores have been damaged and looted. At least one civilian has been killed. All of this has been done in the name of “protesting” perceived “social injustice.”
As The New American reported previously, “protests” which were marked by looting and violence in Charlotte began within three hours of the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. The violence and looting ran into the wee hours of the morning and then — predictably — started back up again the next night, after the criminal element had had a good day’s sleep.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and called up both the State Police and the National Guard to enforce a curfew and keep the peace. As we reported then:
In the second night of pillaging and marauding, police made 44 arrests, more property was destroyed, nine civilians, five police officers, and at least two journalists were injured, and one young man was shot. Many businesses in uptown Charlotte — where most of the violence has occurred — have told employees to stay home. Before the tumult died down, Governor Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency and called in the State Police and the North Carolina National Guard.
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In spite of these efforts to keep the peace, Thursday night saw the third night in a row of what the mainstream media prefers to describe as “unrest.” While those “protests” did not reach the level of destruction and violence seen the two previous nights, it was still reported that two Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) officers were treated for injuries resulting from being sprayed with “a chemical agent” by rioters.
In all so far, more two dozen police officers have been injured, scores of rioters have been arrested (with reports claiming that 70 percent of them are from out of state), scores of residents have been injured — one, who had been shot in the head during the second night of the tumult and had been reported in critical condition, has now died of his injuries — buildings have been damaged and looted, and vehicles, including several city buses, several police cars, and several privately owned vehicles, have been damaged or destroyed.
An increasing number of businesses have told employees not to report to work, but to stay home for their own safety.
All of this violence and destruction has been instigated by the lies and hateful rhetoric of the BLM crowd as a “protest” of what they say is police violence targeted at black residents of the city. Of course, the idea of fighting perceived violence by indiscriminately attacking others (mostly police officers and white people), stealing, and destroying property, is — on its very face — ridiculous. As the National Guard patrols the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina, the violence seems to be diminishing. This provides evidence of a basic principle of liberty: Those who will not govern themselves must — and will — be governed by others. The current state of destruction and heavy police and military presence in Charlotte is laid squarely at the feet of the BLM crowd. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for them to take responsibility or to stop blaming everyone else.
