Some are seriously suggesting that the looting taking place in the
“protests” (note: they are not protests, they are bouts of purposeless
violence) are justified because “white people looted” for thousands of
years and that’s “loot” that now fills the museums.
Which is the most ridiculous thing that I’ve heard all month and believe me, I heard ridiculous this past month.
99.99% of the inventory of museums has been found in archaeological expeditions, or donated, or otherwise legally
obtained. In the vast majority of these there was no present legal
owner of the property, because said owners were long dead without any
identification.
What is
happening now however, across America, is outright theft of private
property, whether it belongs to a store or to individuals or is in the
custody of legitimate government. It is being done by people who have
no respect toward the notion of ownership.
Others with greater
minds than mine have remarked that private property ownership and the
right to have that, are among the most basic elements of a free society.
Take that away and there is no regard for anything that follows. And
we are seeing that happen now in cities throughout America: the throwing
aside of respecting the property of others, watching the anarchy and
madness that inevitably follows.
I’m old enough to remember the
riots that broke out in Los Angeles following the Rodney King case
verdicts. Thousands of buildings were set on fire, many innocent people
were killed. Those weren’t “protests” either. Those were acts of
violence absent any responsibility or regard for human life. Among the
buildings destroyed were many owned by African-Americans as well as
Caucasians. The ONE exception was stores and other buildings that were
owned by those of the Korean community. Why were they spared? Because
the store owners LITERALLY took to the roofs of their property and held
vigil with handguns, rifles, and whatever other firearms they possessed.
THAT is where the rioting and mayhem is taking us. If some will not
respect the property of others, then the owners of that property are
justified… more than justified even… to protect said property by any
means necessary. Up to and including potentially depriving others of
life. If property is the product of one’s own efforts and sacrifice,
then that person WILL be forced to defend it by any means necessary if
his or her back is pressed against the wall.
I don’t want to see it come to that any more than any other sane human being would.
What we see happening now however, is not sane. And the perpetrators
are fast compelling those who respect law and property to consider
taking measures that would be regrettable for all involved.
Just my .02