We are better than This

It’s happening again. The stain of racism, riots, protests, and wave after wave of misinformation and overly opinionated broadcasts. Our democratic experiment’s short history already has too many chapters full of these events, of which none we should feel proud. What we can do today is write a better ending, and I will posit there are five points to start the dialogue. There are undoubtedly more, but I see these as a start.

For reference, I come from a family of cops: father, brother, four uncles, brother-in-law, and countless friends who have and still serve in law enforcement. I did not, but I was deployed to Los Angeles in May of 1992 during the riots. I was a Lieutenant leading Marines on the ground for nearly two weeks during and immediately following the riots. I also returned to the city several months later to work with the L.A. County Sheriff’s office in support of Garden Plot. The experience changed my thinking in many ways. I wrote a book about it, and much of what I am about to say stems from that time. The parallels to May of 2020 are uncanny.

Let me explain the five points:

1.          George Floyd was murdered. Regardless of the circumstances the led to his being on the ground; no human being should ever be subjected to the brutality and cruelty he endured, especially by law enforcement. Terminating the officers involved was the proper first step, but they need to be prosecuted with equally as swift and efficient zeal, in a courtroom, with a jury as a nation true to the rule of law mandates. Our laws guarantee “equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics.” There was no equal protection under the law on May 25 in Minneapolis. And this is the most important point that everyone should stay focused on – George Floyd was murdered.

2.         We know our First Amendment rights, we know our civil rights, but no law protects violence, assault, rioting, theft, arson, and senseless vandalism. These are crimes, not rights. Our First Amendment guarantees free speech, and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” So absolutely speak up – not only is it your right, it is your civic responsibility. Speak up, shout, air your grievance, assemble, yell, scream, holler, cry, sit-in, wave your sign, whatever you choose to do. I encourage all of these activities, as we all should. But “peaceably” is defined as “inclined to avoid argument or violent conflict.” I think most would allow the argument, but the violent conflict is inexcusable. When this line is crossed, one is not exercising a right or a responsibility; one is engaging in criminal behavior. And just as we demand the law prosecute the terminated officers, we should demand the law prosecute the rioters, arsonists, thieves, and vandals - equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics.

3.         Businesses have been violently attacked, many ruined in multiple cities across the country. There has been no coordinated effort, no focus on a particular business or owner, no specific grand plan, which clearly illustrates the utter chaos and randomness of the activity and reminds us it has nothing to do with George Floyd. As with L.A. in ’92, opportunists and criminals have come from outside areas to pillage and plunder a hot spot because they embrace anarchy and feel it is their right to do so. There is no pride or justification to be derived from this – crimes are being committed. Politicians that endorse this behavior in any way should be held to account, especially in ensuing elections. Would this be the case if the mayor’s or governor’s office or house were ablaze? Evacuating a burning building makes sense, but telling the public they are allowed to “let it burn” will foment increased violence, and is akin to political malfeasance. For fires where first responders do engage, their lives are endangered. None of these scenarios justifies the rioting and associated behavior. This was a problem in 1992, as well. There’s no catharsis in violence; it is merely uncontrolled rage, wanton destruction, and base lawlessness. This does not honor the memory of George Floyd; it diminishes it entirely. If you want to hear some smart advice, listen to Mayor Bottoms in Atlanta.

             Businesses that have been attacked have likely been adversely impacted by COVID over the past few months – and now this. They already faced insolvency, perhaps bankruptcy, and now they face a complete loss. One restaurant owner condoned the arson of his building the other day, which might be hard for some to understand. It’s unlikely his comments are shared collectively with victims nationwide. How long will he be closed? How long will the insurance check take? How long will it be before he retracts his statement? Dozens of businesses in Los Angeles never recovered from the ’92 riots. Many had no insurance, couldn’t rebuild, and left. Many simply didn’t want to risk another lawless uprising years later. It is irresponsible to laud domestic terrorism, and that is precisely what is happening. 

4.         As with any organization, law enforcement has its bad apples. Nobody can successfully argue otherwise. The exact percentage likely varies across the country, but there are bad cops that don’t deserve the privilege to wear the uniform. One of the greater challenges in eradicating these people from the force is immediate, effective, and systemic change - in the form of bold and unprecedented reform. This is a tall order, one I am not oversimplifying or proposing would be easy or quick, but it is possible. Their badge is earned, with an oath to serve and protect - the public trust is often implied in this oath, if not stated literally. Violations of that trust need to be punished in kind, and soon, to preserve the integrity of the badge, and to guarantee equal protection under the law, regardless of race, religion, or other personal characteristics. And there are plenty of good cops out there – observe their actions over the weekend in Flint, Oklahoma City, Orlando, and other Florida locations.

The Navy and Marine Corps underwent a massive change after the Tailhook scandal in 1991 when millions of dollars were spent to train men and women on proper conduct using Deming’s TQM and TQL. People were fired, some resigned, and those that were left were trained extensively on new protocols. Thousands of promotions were held up until proper authorizations were attained, confirming whether or not one attended the Tailhook Convention in Las Vegas. Mandatory training was subsequently issued service-wide, tracked, and recorded in individual service records. The Catholic Church scandals of the past two decades have forced similar changes globally, as has the #MeToo movement most recently. All of this change resulted from bad behavior, but bold reform came about. It simply requires moral courage to act, the tenacity to persevere, and the fortitude to not yield. 

5.         Any one of us can be one of the first to respond differently. Look at any successful and respected leader in our two centuries of existence and show me one that has condoned violence and destruction against our own as a means to a peaceful end. Next week, if you can find them, ask any of the rioters about the impact of their actions. Did they move the needle? Are they unifying anyone or anything in the community? What’s the plan going forward? Can they tell you who George Floyd was? Did they have a plan a week ago, or were they simply fanning the flames of anarchy?

Change is absolutely necessary – demand it. Engage with your community and act responsibly. We saw quite a bit of this in ’92, where Marines of every race, creed, and color worked collectively to demonstrate coexistence, tolerance, and acceptance. A multi-racial, multi-cultural group was working as one—sheer humanity. We literally helped to picked-up the pieces of a ravaged city and helped Korean, Mexican, black, and white store owners and citizens work together to start a conversation.  

dialogue – and this is my offer for a response. We have written a treatment for a proposed series with the same title. Each episode of dialogue will drill into a widely debated issue that has yet to be discussed in-depth without bias. A new program that airs it out completely - thoughtful and intelligent discourse dedicated to deliberately controversial subject matter. All panelists are in attendance, willing to share, discuss, listen, and argue their point—leaving nothing on the table. No bells or horns, no gifts under seats, no dancing, nobody gets hit, and nobody gets a car. Only honest expression, explanation of beliefs, an exchange of ideas to create change. dialogue.

If you are a producer, studio executive, or if you have any influence at a network or channel, DM me. We have put a great deal of thought into this, we have assembled guests, and could certainly make it a better production with professional input. We need a platform to do so.

What’s happening today, days after the rioting started, is precisely what happened in Los Angeles in ’92. The fury wanes, the clean-up begins, and disorder matures to discourse. People come together, people of all races, colors, and creeds, and they restore normalcy. The dialogue is what carries the issue, and the protest forward. This is the civic responsibility that is often forgotten. Let the violent, riotous cowards stay where they are - hiding. Their actions did little more than create temporary ratings for various networks. And as usual, they had and have no sustainable plan. One cannot watch the footage from the past few days and not feel shame and disgust. But they don’t win, humanity does. Always. 

Over the past few months, we have seen the brilliance of the human spirit in this country as COVID brought us to our knees. In response, exceptional acts of kindness and heroism, extraordinary philanthropic outreach, and unique methods of celebration were daily events – regardless of race, color, and creed. Admiral humanity - this is who we are. Oh, and we put two astronauts, both military Veterans, successfully into space the other day. 

Come on, people – we are better than this.