Riots have to happen when there is no constructive conversation about ongoing crucial issues, sometimes people have no recourse but to take a stand against injustice.
Afterwards, society may recognise the impossibility of their circumstances and the responsibility we all share to build those bridges and relieve that oppression. Or not. They open space for future painful exploration …
with a nod to Peter Fitzsimmons series on race riots in Australia …
By NOT acknowledging each person’s uniqueness eg colour, race, gender
it erases a quintessential part of their identity.
aroused 
When I look at the beating people, thefts, robberies, setting cars on fire, I think it has nothing to do with racism and the fight to make the police less violent. It looks like people want to fight. Regards
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those people are desperate and hear it’s others who are looting, using the protests as a cover …
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Very well said, Kate and yes this was bound to happen and it will happen. Now people have become tired of these politicians and using their roughness on anyone they like. We need to look at the Oneness instead of who belongs to which race, caste and religion.
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I agree with you 100%. 2020 is definitely a year of massive changes and it both breaks my heart but also makes me somehow hopeful for the future. I think these riots and events might act as a breaking point and it’s really up to the people to decide what they want to get out of it – do they want to address the deeply-rooted issues of racism clearly and upfront? Or do they just want to ignore it and let the violence continue? An amazing post and it definitely made me think a little 🙏
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I totally understand where you’re coming from, Kate….here in HK we’ve had a year long of continuous protests and I only hope that some change will be made and that the people will be heard 😦 Sending endless support from afar 😊
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racial and religious harmony is pivotal in any land. I am saddened to read this and the riots in USA now. Inter-faith religious harmony and racial harmony is vital to our lil red dot as we have 4 racial groups. in the 1960s there were racial riots in Singapore and I am glad that in current times, our government has enforced, educated and taught us the important of respecting each race, each religion and that we are one people in lil red dot.
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oh how I wish that were the case in every country GH, what a wonderful world that would be!
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Where are our generations’ MLK and MKG? We need visionary leaders who can heal. Kate, as always, your words resonate.
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Unfortunately, their are riots everywhere… But will there be a new Martin Luther King? Who will remind people that peaceful protests can have a very loud voice?
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I hear the looters are whites … that the police are reacting violently and so things escalate … desperate people do desperate things, we will never know their fear and anger!
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Peace begets peace
and so true, violence begets violence.
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Well put, voices needs to be heard
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It is true that when peaceful protests are met with violence more violence ensues. Here in the US there have been waves of racism from the very start – we need to come clean and address the issues. Perhaps the violence is not what it seems – many reports are surfacing that the people who are starting the looting are actually whites. This makes me both sad and enraged. Change is coming whether we like it or not. I’m just praying for a change in leadership with the November elections!!
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So true.
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I actually wish I wasn’t hearing all about it on every blog. Not because I don’t care. But because it hurts so much and it isn’t something I live with. My community has it’s own issues but not racial or ethnic… and yes I think bloggers SHOULD talk about it. Should promote the love and care. Should bring awareness. It just hurts so so much. Especially as it’s all so senseless. There’s enough pain in the world without it. Why bring still more? I can’t understand it…….
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police murdering people is just not right, these riots are needed so that hopefully some constructive conversation can start … they are in that complete hopeless and helpless space that you know so well and that’s probably why it’s so painful …
Spoil yourself today, do something special for you and don’t read any more news or posts like this for a few day … take care precious 🙂
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So true. So sad.
We should be celebrating, and learning from, each person/cultures uniqueness(es).
We all want to be see, respected, appreciated, valued. Etc.
(((HUGS)))
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Diplomatic conversation between and among the group/s involve should be the best option however, our system failed us to see that, that’s why most opted for violent reaction/s.
And i like what you said in our of your responses here that history should be written correctly. As far as i know history back home is written dependent on whoever is in the current power.
Some politicians tend to alter the history and even paid historians to write history as they pleases.
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yes our history here only tells a favourable account of 250 years of occupation which erases 65,000 years of the longest living culture in the world … now that is something to be really proud of!
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A sad and sorry situation Kate, that can rip a country apart until, like in Northern Ireland, somebody such as John Major and others, step up and bring matters to a head to address issues through peaceful means and we end up with The Good Friday agreement (The Belfast Agreement) and peace between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland. Keep using your voice!
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it’s echoing for our traditional landowners here who also have many death by police brutality … we need a John Major asap, thanks Marie 🙂
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Wisdom and well said.
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beautiful said Kate.
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🙂 I so wish I could express myself as well as you can……….just beautiful.
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Riots , Revolutions they are the results of continues oppression and arrogance…. centuries of history have taught us that….. …. (( Ivor still believes that most politicians must have failed History at school))
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