How exactly do non-violent protests work on a mechanical level? It's nominally just a bunch of people standing outside, but they signal "Hey, we are numerous and we are enthusiastic enough about this issue to potentially swing elections." This is somewhat compelling on its own, but guarantees nothing considering how much more influence special interest groups (i.e. police unions) would have in comparison.
A few years later, what's the followup assessment? Did the riots "work" for the medium or long run benefit of the marginalized, or only to get some short run appeasement?
Alas, the subjective nature of judging when one's own asserted grievance has been addressed sufficiently (with violence if not) is a rather big sticking point. It alas reminds me of the folks who decide that they should resist arrest unless they agree that they are guilty.
If people's discernment of personal "justice" was intelligent, informed, thoughtful, honest, conscious, and unbiased, then allowing it to override the official rules (made on a one size fits all basis) would be a no-brainer. But we repeatedly see how subjective, biased, and illogical such assessments often are.
Few of the people who want to have this power to over-ride "the system" would like to live in a society which would result if everyone else also had that power.
A few years later, what's the followup assessment? Did the riots "work" for the medium or long run benefit of the marginalized, or only to get some short run appeasement?
Alas, the subjective nature of judging when one's own asserted grievance has been addressed sufficiently (with violence if not) is a rather big sticking point. It alas reminds me of the folks who decide that they should resist arrest unless they agree that they are guilty.
If people's discernment of personal "justice" was intelligent, informed, thoughtful, honest, conscious, and unbiased, then allowing it to override the official rules (made on a one size fits all basis) would be a no-brainer. But we repeatedly see how subjective, biased, and illogical such assessments often are.
Few of the people who want to have this power to over-ride "the system" would like to live in a society which would result if everyone else also had that power.