Grand Rapids Black Lives Matter Peaceful Turns To Riot

- June 10, 2020

I was having a hard time deciding to post this or not, but I thought I should.

On Saturday, May 29 at 6:00 pm a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest started in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Around 8:00 pm it quickly turned from peaceful to a violent riot and looting. It wasn't just African Americans who were involved in the riot, it had all colors involved. These people damaged over 100 businesses downtown Grand Rapids.

Michigan businesses have been closed since March 13th due to COVID-19 and were already struggling financially from the shutdown and now this. I understand buildings can be rebuilt and lives can't be, but that is no excuse.

These business owners put their heart and soul into their business and the community by damaging their property you are damaging their souls. If a person's soul gets hit too many times it ends up bad aka suicide. Plus, these businesses provide people shelter, food, and health care, without them, there will be people who don't have any income coming in. These businesses help our community by donating food and money to schools and organizations that focus on minorities, but now that money has to be used to rebuild and repair their restaurants, stores, etc.

These people broke into the Children's Museum, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, and they also tried to burn down the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Luckily there were a couple of people who stepped in and got the fire out before it got uncontrollable.

I don't understand why people think these riots and looting are okay. I know I am white and privilege and I wouldn't understand.

I have to say it was amazing to see how many people came out on Sunday to help clean-up.

I am all for protesting and getting your voice heard but these protests are turning into violent riots. It makes me sad to watch people damage property of their own kind. We are never going to have equality until we look at each other the same. No color of the skin is better than the other. We all deal with problems and emotions. 90% of the USA strive to support each other.

I think it is scary we are thinking of defunding the police. We need our police. I do feel we have an issue of not getting rid of bad cops fast enough. All cops should be wearing a camera with a mic and if that camera stops working during a bust then they get a strike. After 2 strikes of not having a working camera both on themself and their cop car cameras, then they are out and put into a desk job or fired completely. Police should only be given two strikes when it comes to overstepping their power.
I also feel like cop cars need to have a lot more cameras then they do. I think they should have one on the sides of the cop car, on both side mirrors, two in the front, two in the back, and two on the roof of their vehicles. Plus, two cameras inside on the dashboard and two cameras for the backseats. All of these cameras should be streaming live at a call center where people will be watching what each of these cops is doing.

Talk to your community police and discuss how you are feeling and ways you think would be helpful to the black community. I have found the more you know the police in your area the better. For example, six cops played basketball with a few blacks, hispanics and whites in the outskirts of Grand Rapids. I know in my neighborhood a bunch of cops brought ice cream to the park to talk with kids and parents. Most police have the heart of gold. Please keep in mind police do have kids and family members.

We need to send out kindness and love. We need to support our African Americans but not through rioting and looting.