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To the editor:

After George Floyd’s death, there was an interview with Vince Champion, SE regional director of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers- one of the largest police unions.  He acknowledged the elephant in the room is more serious than a few bad apples.  When the US House passed a bill to combat excessive force,  terms like overhaul and reimagine were used.  But the buzz word “defund” has become an all-inclusive term used to negate any attempt of reform.                                                                            

What’s etched in our minds is the visuals of a summer of violence, looting, property damage, arson and demonstrators clashing with law enforcement. It’s caused great concern. It’s a reminder of what Dr. King had said in the 60s: violent protests would make a right-wing takeover easier.  Antifa, a movement of black activists, was said to have been involved in the havoc and has become a pawn for the spread of fear.

Antifa had drawn attention earlier, when they showed up at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville in 2017, as counter-protestors. FBI Intel has labeled them agitators; however, White Supremist and White Nationalists are labeled as dangerous, domestic terrorists. It’s turned out the Boogaloos are the latest example of a group to really fear.

On the other hand, an Oct. 2 World Review article had this headline: Without the Right to Protest, America is Doomed to Fail. In three months, between May and August, there were 7,750 protests across the country according to media accounts. Of the 2,400 locations, there were 220 locations that became violent. Of the 93 percent of peaceful protests, the 7 percent of the 7,750 ruined the others’ united messages.

A peaceful protest was held here in Mocksville in June by a group of young people. What if outsiders, on social media, had come and wreaked havoc?  What if the Boogaloos, who have committed acts of violence, killed policemen and set out to ignite a second civil war, had shown up?  What if a 17-year-old with an affinity for guns, trained at a shooting range with antifa and protesters on the website, had shown up to protect property? We would have been violent location number 221.

As our young people marched from Rich Park chanting “Black Lives Matter” and No Justice; No Peace”; like others, they aren’t ideologues, they were just appealing to our better angels. However, their safety could have been put at risk. Somewhere, there’ll be more police brutality and more protests; I’d say use a different slogan next time.

Since Black Lives Matter has backfired, would “Enough is Enough” be more acceptable?

Alice G. Brown,     Mocksville