I do not condone violence; not during the summer of 2020 or in January of 2021. Further, I condemn the use of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s quote “a riot is the language of the unheard” as an excuse for riots. I also reject the sensationalism and inflated labeling of riots to propel ridiculous narratives and blame. Yes, I’m talking to you democrats and republicans and libertarians and media and podcasters and bloggers and any other nut case out there.

That being said, most of the violence we saw in 2020 was due to a lack of transparency or at least too many not waiting for transparency to occur. Shutting down forms of communication–or worse, only one side of the information–will do nothing but incite greater divisions and great distrust. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of the American way of life. Shutting down some on social platforms undermines liberty and the free flow of ideas. Basically it says that you, American, are too damn dumb to discern fact from fiction, right from wrong. Of course you’re not worried about you, its the other idiot, right? (insert faceplant)