Bill Whitaker: Protesters lost control of their message in summer of chaos – Waco Tribune-Herald

German, who added that more than 800 acts of police violence against protesters nationwide have been captured on video since Floyds death on Memorial Day, made a compelling point about the questionable display of apparently undisciplined federal forces in Portland, noting that studies of civil disturbances in the 1960s and 70s showed that aggressive law enforcement tactics were often a determinant factor in instigating and escalating and spreading violence a point embraced by local police departments across the nation (including Wacos) who now coach their officers on how to de-escalate tense situations. Ironically, this point was lost in the parliamentary and partisan charade on ugly display during Tuesdays Senate subcommittee hearing.

Can we find a way forward?Is it too late for a do-over, maybe with a little more John Lewis and Mahatma Gandhi, a little less Sun Tzu and the Great Ahmed Khan? Probably, which makes the death of George Floyd even more tragic given the resulting legislative inaction (well, except for a stubborn effort to make Juneteenth a national holiday, as if this will atone for racial injustice). Perhaps its to be expected of any genuine grassroots movement. As some of us saw with the tea party a decade ago, little time passes before such movements are overtaken, whether by corporate interests, political manipulators or out-and-out renegades whose agendas and motives are never quite so pure. Perhaps, too, the young and idealistic souls who spilled out into Americas streets this summer succumbed to the same impulses seasoned voters do when we send one lawmaker after another to Washington and Austin to fight tooth and nail for us, and to never compromise, rather than pursuing real conciliation, lasting solutions and a dynamic way forward.

Bill Whitaker is Trib opinion editor.

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Bill Whitaker: Protesters lost control of their message in summer of chaos - Waco Tribune-Herald