PLOG 65: 145,000 Deaths

My PLOG continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

I've been trying to escape into video games and Lego, but the news and numbers are impossible to ignore. In the US we are now at more than 145,000 deaths (probably at 146,000 by the end of today), with more than 4.1 million people infected right now. There are so many people who need help and the government seems ambivalent; instead of passing stimulus directly to the people, the US Congress continues to stall and are about to let the unemployment pandemic benefits expire.

The first major hurricane of this season is about to hit Texas. The combination of the pandemic and a hurricane means really bad news; storm season has heated up with lots of dangerous possibilities. People who may be in quarantine and self-lockdown are now going to need to potentially evacuate and get help from the community. And if the hurricanes don't get them, then the coming tornadoes might.

As for the protests, it sounds like Trump's administration is going to take its act from Portland (with the hired private security forces) to more cities. The plan seems to be to intimidate the protestors with these illegal grab and snatch operations.

Meanwhile I've got teacher work/prep to do, but I also have some Lego sets and some Minecraft goals. Oh, and I have some ice cream. I think this would be a good time to cook up some jambalaya and have some ice cream. The stress eating continues. The night time anxiety and difficulty falling asleep continues.

Be safe out there and I'll be safe at home!

PLOG 61: REAL RISKS!

My PLOG continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

Let's get real here. Listening to the news has become very frustrating. The US Congress has been debating the next stimulus bill (for a long time). It's insane. We're not just talking politics as normal. We are in an emergency, pandemic situation. People need relief yesterday. It's life and death for a lot of people; it's time for the government to take action and help people.

The politicians need to remember that they are supposed to be serving the people. The government should only exist to further the needs of the people. Instead, we are continuing to see clashes with protesters.

The situations we are facing seem to just worsen, which reminds me of the coutuniunig unknowns about starting the school year.  Some states are starting all classes online. Other have left that decision up to the local districts, like in Texas. In Texas we have some counties where the health commissioner is even stepping in and forcing in-person school to be delayed. But you know what's weird? People either don't seem to understand/know about the fact that teachers are still expected to show up in person - or people just don't care.

Studies have been done. Kids and teens get the virus. They spread the virus. Air conditioning systems spread the virus. Whether students are there or not, the virus will spread. What in the world are we doing? And because the details have been revealed so late, it's too late for teachers to be freely released from our contracts. Now if we decide to not show up for work in protest of the situation, or out of concern for our health, we will lose our certifications and potentially our retirement pensions.

I feel like it's all really obvious and yet we still have about (I'm guessing here) 30-40% of the population in denial of how medical science and virus infections work.

I can only spend so many days escaping into books, The Sims 3, Minecraft, and Lego. My summer vacation days are running out.

Wish me luck.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe at home).

PLOG 59: 140,000

My PLOG continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

Well, it's after midnight so I turned the news back on and I was saddened to realize that today we will pass the 140,000 total death count for the US. It's a horrible day.

I saw some more bad news for Texas. In addition to what CNN is reporting with the record number of infections, deaths, and hospitalizations (seen below) - schools have been allowed to push back the school start date for students; despite the change from TEA, many school districts are still insisting teachers report to work around August 3 to August 6.

 I'm clinging to hope for some kind of intervention to save the kiddos and the staff; parents have been given the choice to either send their kids in person or have online school. I hope they all pick online school. It's not just unsafe, it's less safe than it was in the past when we shut down. Going back now will certainly mean death for some people. Those will be preventable deaths.

Apparently the Portland officials are allowing law enforcement officers (of some kind) in unmarked vans to take away protesters for questioning and/or arrest. In the US, this is certainly shocking. The speculation online is that these officials who are not identifying their agency are actually private security and not actual police or military forces. But where are the protestors being taken and what is happening to them?

What's that next to the TV? Another box arrived in the mail. I've got some sorting to do.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe at home)!

PLOG 36: Scapegoats

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

There's so much going on that I haven't been able to discuss everything on my blog here. I tend to focus on just one or two issues per day, but I did want to point out that the protests have been continuing in the form of people pulling down statues of Confederate leaders and slave owners. Trump has seemed more concerned about protecting those statues than protecting people from the coronavirus.

Side note: Today was a cheesy tuna helper day for me.

On to today's main topic though: Texas Gov. Abbott is using bars as a scapegoat for why the numbers of infected people has gone up so much.

The government wants us to believe that the main reason the numbers have gone up is because people are drinking and getting all touchy-feely spreading the virus? Oh please. It's face masks! Come on Abbot. I expected better for you. I really appreciated you in the spring when you kept the schools closed, but I don't know what to think of you now. It appears you're sucking up to Trump and doing what he asks by re-opening the state too quickly (ignoring your own criteria) and then failing to mandate masks. You don't even seem to be fighting the removal of federal funds for testing. So sad!

Meanwhile the numbers have gone up even more in Florida.

What are they going to blame there? Beach bars? Come on people! The overall numbers are just insane. I hope we survive this.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe in here)!

PLOG 29: Juneteenth

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

Today is Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day that the US slaves were freed/knew that they were free. It should be a holiday to commemorate/reflect upon progress and our society's ability to evolve beyond past issues. As always these days, there were protests - though they were called "rallies" today instead.

Also, as always these days, Trump tried to steal the spotlight by (1) claiming he made Juneteenth famous by rescheduling his political rally and (2) refusing the cancel his rally or require face masks/safety precautions. We need real leadership; hopefully it isn't too late to turn this ship around (it's starting to feel like the Titanic).

Today should be a day for us all to come together (with social distancing, maybe online) as one people. It's time to honor and respect our diversity. It should also be a day to worry about our future and the children. There's a lot I want to say about the plans to reopen schools in the fall, but I'll wait until the next blog entry for that.

It's been a busy day, including cleaning my home.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe in here)!

PLOG 23: CHAZ Confusion

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

The recent events in Seattle, Washington confuse me. Apparently a group of civilians protesting have taken over part of the city and claimed it as their own. They have claimed that it is no longer a part of the United States. They seem to be engaged in an exercise of self-rule without police and authorities. They are calling the area CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone) and they have a police precinct as part of their captured territory.

I have seen the police chief say she did not want to abandon the police station there, but was ordered to by the city leaders. The mayor of Seattle keeps doing interviews making it sound like everything is fine and people shouldn't be worried about the situation. Trump sent some angry tweets, saying they needed to get control or else he would send in the military. The mayor responded that it would be illegal for Trump to do so... and it's been going on for days now.

I'm confused. I guess I was raised to believe that we lived in a society in which this type of situation would be unacceptable. I didn't think people could just decide to rebel and create pockets of anarchy. I have always assumed force would be used to stop this sort of thing. I expect the police and/or federal backup to go in guns blazing and retake areas.

Remember the novel The Outsiders and the idea of "suicide by cop" from decades ago? Apparently these days, the police are trained to not use lethal force. Ever? Are they never supposed to use lethal force? When is it justified? I suppose the big disconnect in my mind is that I was always taught to believe that lethal force would happen. Maybe that's not what people have been taught in the latest generation as they have grown up. I expected to be put down if I rebelled. People today don't seem to expect that anymore.

In the meantime, I decided to read some books that may at least help me better understand the racial tension in our society today: How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi and So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo.

Also, be careful because the coronavirus numbers keep going up.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe in here)!

PLOG 18: Police

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

I keep hearing news of protestors calling to defund the police and to shut down police departments. I don't get it. We need someone to help keep the "law and order" in society. I do understand that there have been too many instances over time of corrupt police officers and police officers who abuse their authority, as well as police officers who outright murder people and get away with it. I get all that, but you don't cut down the orchard when you get some bad apples.

I believe it's possible to change the culture of our society and to improve training for police officers. I have hope that we can get justice for instances when police do wrongs. We have a system and I know it seems broken, but we can fix it. We shouldn't just throw out the whole system.

This situation reminds me of when I, someone who grew up very tech savvy always working on computers and software, finally reached my point as an adult and professional of not understanding the tech being used by the younger generation. I don't understand why they like the apps and the web layouts and such that they use. I don't know how to do everything with computers. And that makes me feel old now. I also grew up as a person who argued against racism and sexism all around me. I considered myself a well-read philosopher who went out of my way to help people. But today, I listen to the reforms people are asking for and I just don't get them. Am I too old? Am I out of touch?

I mean, it's not fair to punish the good law enforcement officers. The good cops shouldn't lose their jobs because people want to destroy the system. Besides, who will protect the public? Who will provide order and peace? Who will people call when things are stolen from them or when they need help? I just don't get it.

If the police are gone, won't that just necessitate the need for the military to intervene? Won't that bring martial law even faster and in a more harsh way? Sigh. I just don't get it.

And the protests are continuing. Some people are getting louder. Professional people who have worked hard to better communities are being looked down upon because they won't agree that we need to defund the police and/or abolish police departments. Seriously? Will this issue cause people to lose credibility in the eyes of the people? Presumed Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden did an interview today in which he refused to agree to defund the police and I bet his poll numbers will go down because of it.

Has society gone mad? I don't even know any more. All I can think is that the forces manipulating society and the economy, if their goal was to get people to no longer know what is right or wrong or real or fake, then they may have succeeded.

I got a phone call from my dad today asking if I want to go out to dinner. I miss him and would love to do that, but the coronavirus is still a serious threat. He doesn't take it seriously, but I do. Sigh. I worry for my father being out there, going about business as if there isn't a deadly virus that he could catch from anyone. He's not wearing a mask. He's not using gloves. Sigh.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe in here)!

PLOG 17: Pandemic Continues

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

Perhaps the protests and politics of our day have confused people, or maybe many people refused to buy into the pandemic to begin with, but more and more I see information about people going out about their lives as if everything is back to normal. Folks, we are not back to normal.

On Reddit, the pizza delivery drivers were questioning why they have so many deliveries to parties. Pizza orders with 5+ pizzas, some with even 14 pizzas, and some orders going to back yard pool parties. It seems all of those graduation and birthday parties that were postponed having been happening this weekend. And that's weird, because we're still in the pandemic.

People on the news and YouTube speak with the rhetoric of phases, incorrectly making it sound like the had the "Shutdown" phase and then the "Protest" phase and now we can move on.

Nothing has changed as far as the pandemic goes; the virus is still out there and if you get it you can have serious health problems or die. In Texas, the numbers are going up dramatically. Maybe the news needs to do a better job of covering the coronavirus again? With all of the focus on the protests, and the fact that thousands of people have been leaving their homes on a regular basis to protest, I guess it looks like it's safe. But it isn't.

Businesses and public places are allowed to open, but that's because we had the huge shutdown to prevent hospitals being overwhelmed. People either don't realize they are going out "at their own risk" of getting the deadly virus, or they just don't care. People may be stir crazy. They want to make money. They want to spend money. They are worried about the economy (and rightfully so).

Also on Reddit, someone pointed out an image from Fox News that highlighted the hypocrisy right now:

I guess that says it all. I'm sorry that I'm not out there protesting, but I'm following the ORIGINAL CDC guidelines and I'm staying home. I'm also out of shape and couldn't mark for hours anyway. I want justice and social change, but I don't want to die or have serious health issues from the coronavirus.

What crazy times we live in.

Be safe out there (and I'll be safe in here)!

PLOG 16: 2nd Stimulus?

My Personal Log (PLOG) continued during this time of pandemic and protests...

While I've been disappearing into some novels and computer games, more crazy events are unfolding in the world. Apparently as the protests became less violent, with less rioting and destruction, the police have been caught in more and more instances of using unnecessary force. The people in the streets and the news companies are capturing footage of police pushing and attacking people in ways that show they are being extra mean without just cause.

Meanwhile, the financial assistance people need still isn't here. I watch a lot of YouTube videos, in addition to the TV news, to help keep me up to date on financial info. It sounds like the US Senate just keeps pushing things back, continuing their "wait and see" games.

The YouTube channel "Meet Kevin" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrlFsxJSI1c) posts multiple updates each day with info about the possible upcoming 2nd stimulus or alternates, as well as info about real estate and investing. He often summarizes government reports and interviews from people in the financial sector. Today he was talking about the odds of getting a 2nd stimulus check (which are low, since the Republicans are focused on a payroll tax instead) and the misleading unemployment numbers.

I am definitely an advocate for more stimulus money to people. Let's try to eliminate poverty!

Be safe out there!

PLOG 14: Peace?

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

Either the media has chosen to stop covering the violence and looting or it has significantly lessened in the last day or two. Granted, major cities have had over a week to figure out how to respond and gain control of their streets. It's possible the local authorities have figured out how to more peacefully interact with protestors and how to post enough law enforcement officers to discourage the looting.

Businesses have also had time to board up their windows, remove merchandise, put up signs, and hire private security. I'd like to think that our society has figured out how to adapt.

Most of the coverage I see on TV and online now is talking politics and healing. Celebrities and community leaders are coming forward with discussions about race, policing, economics, etc. It also helps that all 4 police officers from Minneapolis who were responsible for George Floyd's death have now been arrested and charged; the main officer's charge has been moved up to murder 2, instead of just murder 3 and manslaughter.

A sense of justice is coming back to America, but there's a lot that needs to be done. This social unrest is a result of more than just 1 instance of racially-motivated murder by the police. Racism and discrimination against the poor have been serious issues for a long time. Quite frankly, I think in addition to hearing more and more celebrities and community leaders speak up, we also need an economic solution.

The coronavirus is the perfect excuse to try a universal basic income (UBI), even if it's just for 6 months to a year. I don't identify with either major political party in the US, but I am glad the Democrats in the US House of Representatives have suggested a $2,000 a month stimulus payment for at least the duration of the emergency pandemic.

The main reason I support this plan is that it would bring everyone above the poverty line. A couple would have $4,000 a month and that's enough to pay for rent/mortgage, bills, and groceries.

Oh my. It sounds like I'm getting political. But it is time to speak up. Let's end poverty. And I have a theory that ending poverty is going to help lessen racist discrimination more than anyone could possibly imagine.

Be safe out there!

PLOG 13: Small Town

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protest, crisis and chaos...

While I was sitting around trying to stay safe and uninfected, I was hoping each day that the end of the violence and looting would come. Instead, the civil unrest has spread from the large urban areas to small towns and suburbs.

What will I do when they reach my home?

Last night I watched a livestream someone had posted to my hometown's Facebook page as people in the high school parking lot stood off against police in the median and across the street. There was a simple plan with just a 2-hour march to protest and come back and then go home. There was a curfew. But on the way back, someone was violent and the police responded with tear gas. Then the crowd finished marching to their start location and many of them refused to leave. I was so mixed with emotion.

I had a philosophical discussion with one of my best friends. Can you still call them "peaceful protesters" when they are sticking around unlawfully? They had a plan and then refused to leave. At that point, any intelligent person would know they are just provoking the police. The "peaceful protesters" seemed to want to start something with the police. So technically, they are "peaceful" but they are also breaking the curfew and often blocking the roads, which makes them "unlawful" protesters.

I don't want people to get hurt. I don't want the police to get hurt. I mean, the law enforcement authorities have been really patient. The roads need to remain clear for emergency vehicles; we need ambulances and fire trucks to be able to do their jobs, especially in the most violent areas.

I want justice. I want our society to evolve. I also want to get back to living without the stress of this crisis and chaos. I want to be able to enjoy my summer vacation with time spent reading, writing, cooking, and playing video games.

Be safe out there!

PLOG 12: Civil Disobedience

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during this time of pandemic and protests...

In general, I consider myself a liberal person. And a patient person. But, with a week of this chaos, I've had enough. The protests and violence continued in major cities last night. I once again applaud Dallas PD for getting things under control and arresting the people who were out blocking roads and causing problems.

I feel like a lot of people suddenly forgot what civil disobedience is, including some of the anchors for CNN. Last night listening to Don Lemon on CNN upset me, and I have mad respect for that man. But why was he sounding surprised that the police were arresting what he called “peaceful” protesters?

Blocking the road is against the law.
Being out past curfew is against the law.
Saying “I’m doing it as part of a protest” doesn’t negate the fact that it’s against the law.

MLK understood that. He knew he was going to get arrested. He was willing to get arrested. That’s civil disobedience. When the police show up in Dallas and arrest the protestors blocking the road/bridge, it’s not shocking; it’s how the system works. Quite frankly, it’s a good thing. If anything, Don Lemon, you should be upset and shocked by the cities that are not arresting the protestors in the streets (because it’s against the law to block the roads without having a permit and planning the event ahead of time with local authorities).

Protestors should want to engage in civil disobedience and accept the consequences. Then they can go brag to everyone that they stood up for their cause and they were arrested for their cause. And then we can move on. That’s how MLK did it. That’s how it should work. Don’t act surprised when it happens like that.

We need justice, but not vigilantism. Civil disobedience includes justice. It does not include destroying property, setting fires in the streets, and looting local businesses.

If you want to legally protest, organize a group and fill out the proper paperwork to have a parade or use a free speech zone. Setup in a public place where you are not in the road. Have a sit-in at a park or city building. March on the sidewalks. Organize with local authorities.

But you have to decide: (1) Do you want a legal peaceful protest? (2) Do you want a peaceful illegal scene of civil disobedience, in which you accept that you will be arrested for breaking the law? (3) Or do you want all out illegal chaos and anarchy?

The first is ideal. The second is acceptable, but you must be willing to go along with the consequences. The third is unacceptable. Don’t act surprised when the authorities respond with appropriate force.

Side Note:
The protests have spread from the big cities into the surrounding suburban areas. I know the nearby Frisco protests yesterday were peaceful and the police helped the people march through the streets, but it's still scary to me because it's nearby and these things easily turn violent.

Be safe out there!

UPDATE:
Apparently the protests are the "new normal" we live in and they are starting earlier and earlier in the day.

I guess we shouldn't plan to drive anywhere anymore since the streets are covered in protestors. Sigh. What happens when I have to go back to work? What do I do if protestors are blocking the highway between my home and my work? What do I do if they are in the way on my drive home?

Be safe out there (and maybe, just maybe, never leave your home again)!

MORE UPDATES:
I got messages that my hometown is having a protest this evening. I hope people are peaceful. They are starting at the high school parking lot and that school's front is mostly windows. I'm worried, even though there's a nearby police station and fire station. Minneapolis has shown us that variable might not really matter.

Meanwhile, on CNN: Wolf Blitzer asked a civil rights activist and evangelical leader, a member of the black community, Reverend Michael Curry whether the protesters should be out after curfew. I was glad to hear the response that the protestors need to go home. That they should use lawful means for protesting during the day and then abide the curfew so that we can maintain order.

That makes me feel better.

PLOG 11: Arrests

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues as we are in a pandemic and dealing with protests...

Last night made me feel hopeful that the violence and chaos in our major cities could soon end.

While other cities were still dealing with looters and fires, Dallas seemed to have things locked down.

I'm so proud that here locally the authorities enforced the new curfew by dispersing crowds and arresting the people who refused to leave. We can only handle so much violence in society. Unfortunately, this also means the peaceful protesters were shut down, but that's necessary. I'm fine with the compromise that people can protest peacefully until curfew and then everyone needs to go home to make sure violence doesn't erupt again.

CNN is reporting that at least 4,000 people were arrested during protests across the US last night. Hopefully communities are healing today. Maybe tonight will be peaceful again and we can get back to... well, not normal, but the pandemic normal - which will at least not be violent.

Hopefully...
I can get back to experimenting with cooking.
I can get back to reading and writing.
I can get back to watching entertainment TV instead of constantly watching the news.
I can get back to playing video games.

Be safe out there!

UPDATE:
I was wrong. My hope is just dying at this point. I was looking at Yahoo news and it linked to this violence, already breaking out today in the afternoon:

Sigh. Violent people just took over police cars, rammed them into each other, vandalized them, stole what was inside, and - it looks like, were trying to set them on fire. The violence isn't over. It's so sad, what's happening in our nation right now. If the police can't defend themselves, then they can't defend the rest of us. And that's super scary.

Stay home. Stay safe. Defend yourself if you have to.

PLOG 10: Chaos

I wasn’t planning to blog every single day, but here we go with PLOG 10 - in the midst of the pandemic and protests, crisis and chaos – here are my thoughts and reflections…

Last night was another night of me being unable to stop watching CNN and checking Twitter for updates. The following image is typical of the coverage (a split screen with looting in Los Angeles on the left and an historic hotel building burning down in Washington, DC on the right):

As I watched the chaos unfold in Minneapolis, St. Paul, NYC, LA, Philadelphia, Miami, Las Vegas, Washington DC, etc. I realized they weren't covering Dallas. I went to Twitter and typed in "Downtown Dallas" and looked at the latest tweets. I immediately regretted it because I saw a video of a man being beaten to death (though I later read that he was picked up by an ambulance and was potentially going to survive).

Some people on Twitter were bragging about the crimes they were committing. Other people were warning about the chaos and reporting that shooters were running around in Dallas. Back on CNN, reports arrived that cops in Indianapolis had started using live ammunition and had shot 3 protesters; 1 of whom had died.

Our society has crossed the tipping point of chaos. I'm concerned on so many levels. My brain is also thinking about the "Breaking Bad" concept that once someone "breaks bad" it's almost impossible for that person to stop being a criminal. Thousands of people have engaged in lawless chaos in our major cities. Are they going to be able to easily revert back to being responsible citizens? I hope so, but now I have my doubts. The National Guard has been activated in many of these major cities, but means we may be looking at martial law for the immediate future.

Another concern I felt was that even though I was seeing all of this, I know in my heart that there are some people who don't watch the news and don't follow current events; there are some people who have no idea this is going on. My thoughts were backed up by getting a phone call today from an old friend who is like a brother to me. He had no idea this was going on.

It's so dangerous to me to think that someone wouldn't realize they should be avoiding major cities. It's so easy to just get on the highway and drive to Dallas, but they could get caught up in the traffic and protests. Not that my friend was going to leave his place; he's staying home because of the pandemic.

I've got the TV on and CNN is currently reporting that the protests in major cities are mostly peaceful right now. But it isn't dark yet. Once the sun goes down, that's when people start more fires and looting. They just reported that, outside the White House, people have brought rocks to throw at the police; there are thousands of peaceful protestors, but all it takes is a few violent people to turn it into an angry mob.

I need to eat. I was hoping my PLOG would mostly be about me bettering myself and my cooking skills and such during the pandemic. I had no idea this type of chaos would takeover our society, even though I suppose I should have known because the "preppers" and "conspiracy theorists" on YouTube and Reddit predicted this exact situation. They predicted the virus, the food shortages/rise in prices for groceries, the race riots, and I even remember one of them saying that by the time people realized they needed to get out of the urban areas it would be too late.

Is it too late? Should I have prepared a "bug out" bag? Should I be calling my father and seeing about going to live out in the country with him? I don't want to leave my home, but there's a part of me that realized I'm just a few minutes down the highway from downtown Dallas and there are a lot of shops and restaurants around me. I'll stay home and hope for the best.

Stay safe out there!

UPDATE:
Cities are falling into chaos again today. Chicago is burning. In Minneapolis, the police were trying to clear the highways and protesters started fighting each other, as well as the police.

It's scary to me that now the Los Angelos protests have spilled into Santa Monica - the beach town. This is just insane. In Minneapolis, they have started just arresting people. I think that's good and justifiable at this point.

I also just heard that Dallas has put in a curfew. That should help them justify more arrests. I want justice, but burning down buildings and looting is not the answer. These protests have turned violent and thus need to be shut down.

Stay safe out there!

PLOG 9: Brave Reporters

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues during the pandemic and protests...

I was glued to my TV last night watching the protests and riots in major cities around the US. CNN was covering Minneapolis, St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Dallas, etc.

I was so impressed by the courageousness of the reporters on the streets, surrounded by protesters. They were there in the midst of the violence - with the flash bangs, the tear gas, the pepper spray, the fires, the looting, etc.


In Minneapolis Sara Sidner has been a combat reporter, but even still, her calm was amazing. That's a fire behind her. She had already followed the protesters for miles at that point. She kept going. In the studio, Chris Cuomo was encouraging her and the others to be safe, but you could tell she was holding together just fine.


At the CNN building in Atlanta, Nick Valencia was right behind the front line of police protecting the building from looters. It got really intense as the protestors kept throwing rocks and such at the police. Nick and the crew were hit with BB gun bullets and debris. Luckily, the police eventually got the crowd back outside and the building was "safe" again.


Outside of the White House in Washington, DC I was afraid the crowd was going to get past the barricade and fence. We would have seen serious violence if they got onto the lawn of the White House. The Secret Service was there with the police, protecting the President. The crowd kept taking the barricades and then getting in the face of the authorities. Some protestors had to calm down other protesters. For a while, reporter Brian Todd was trapped in the middle of that angry mob.


Dallas received very little coverage, which made me hopeful that things would remain peaceful near me; I live in the suburbs outside of Dallas. Eventually things got tense. Ed Lavandera, the reporter in Dallas, ended up getting tear gassed along with the crowd and had to flee for a while. I went onto Twitter, since CNN wasn't covering much in Dallas, and saw videos of Dallas stores being looted. Apparently construction crews had left bricks out in piles and the protestors were using them.

Here's a report from one man who lives in Downtown Dallas, breaking down the timeline of violence from his point of view:
https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2020/05/a-timeline-of-downtown-dallas-plunging-into-chaos/

It's sad and scary to see all of the violence breaking out in major cities in our country. The news is already showing confrontations in Chicago with protestors and the police; I saw the police using their batons to beat back protestors after the police cars were vandalized. Philadelphia, New York City, Los Angeles, and Newark are already looking packed with protestors in the streets. I'm afraid it's going to get even worse tonight. Hopefully it'll end after this weekend, but I feel like the authorities can only be patient for so long.

I was surprised to see that police prefer to retreat and abandon areas than to use lethal force. They use nonlethal weapons to corral and try to control the movements of the protestors, but in many places they were just outnumbered too much and let the protestors have the streets; that's when some of the looting happened. Minneapolis looks like a war zone with lots of buildings burned down. Eventually though, the authorities will be forced to use lethal force to defend themselves or residential areas. And that's when all out chaos could erupt.

Supposedly there will be more National Guard out to help the police. I'm not sure what that will accomplish. We need leadership in this nation. We need swift action taken. The police officers who were involved in killing George Floyd need to all be arrested and charged.

Stay safe out there!

Edit: 
It's only about 5:20 pm in Texas, which is about 3:20 in California and it looks like a war zone in LA:

Police were beating back protestors with batons and firing their rubber bullets. Reporter Paul Vercammen was in a boxed in area between police, holding and/or pushing back people until the police cars were set on fire and started exploding. Then the protestors fled back from the dangerous smoke. It's going to be a long, long weekend and now I fear this is going to continue into next week.

I guess I won't be heading into downtown areas anytime soon.

Again, stay safe out there!

PLOG 8: Protests

My Personal Log (PLOG) continues...

Other than reading, I spent most of the day watching the news as the protests continued today. The protests were mostly nonviolent; the thousands of people out there are mostly wearing face masks, but it's shocking to see so many people out during the pandemic. People are risking their lives in the protests. It's a little after 7:00 pm Texas time, but it's started getting violent again in some of the major cities in the US.

Minneapolis has implemented an 8:00 pm curfew in hopes of getting people off the streets, but that could backfire. The reporters there are outside the buildings that were burned down yesterday. One man was interviewed; he had 2 buildings in the area and his employees put up "Black Owned" signs on one of the buildings and it was spared destruction.

The four police officers in the video from George Floyd's detainment/death were fired, but only one of them has been arrested for murder (3rd degree) and manslaughter charges. Why haven't the other former officers been arrested?

NYC right now:


Police are throwing tear gas and trying to get the people to disperse. They are arresting people and putting out literal fires that people are starting.

Washington DC, outside the White House:


CNN is reporting that the Secret Service had to intervene and arrest people and send the crowd away from the park there by the White House. People were trying to take down the barricades and get onto the White House lawn. The authorities were successful, but now the protestors are moving across the city.

Atlanta:


Protestors are throwing projectiles and setting cars on fire - including police cars. They had to send fire trucks to put out the fires. The police are now able to disperse the crowds. The cameras panned over to the CNN building, where graffiti is all over it.

My goodness! I fear it will get worse tonight, but I wanted to go ahead and type up my blog. If need be, I will update more later tonight or tomorrow.

Be safe out there!

Edit: Dr. Cornel West went on CNN and decried America as a failed social experiment. He pointed out that it's good that protestors are out in the streets because too often people fail to respond to these atrocities in our society. He called Trump a "neofascist gangster" in the White House.