Circling the drain (continued)

Let's face it. Minneapolis is quickly becoming another Detroit or Baltimore. 

Wednesday evening was just another sign. 

Residents and workers in downtown Minneapolis grappled with shattered peace, broken glass, looted shops and personal trepidation Thursday morning after a suicide of a homicide suspect on Nicollet Mall ignited waves of rioting.

The destruction recalled the damage done in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody three months ago but lacked the moral outrage as the suspect, Eddie Frank Sole Jr., 38, died by his own hand.

A city-imposed curfew limited the damage done by looters and rioters and was lifted at 6 a.m. National Guard personnel maintained positions downtown, while Metro Transit service resumed in the immediate area after being halted or diverted for many hours. Mayor Jacob Frey has announced a Thursday night curfew as well.

Fire officials are investigating the apparent torching of four retail outlets overnight that expanded the destruction well beyond the city’s core. One was downtown at Brit’s Pub at 1110 Nicollet Mall. Others miles away broke out at Tires Plus at 1103 W. Lake St., China Wok at S. 2800 27th Ave., and Walgreens at 4323 S. Chicago Ave.

I put the emphasis where I did because this is another in a laundry list of incidents where it's riot & loot first, gather the facts later. 

It's been alleged that a young black lady got wind of the Nicollet Mall incident and touted as just another instance of police shooting a black man. That's all the "activists" needed to hear. It's tantamount to flapping raw meat in the face of a rabid dog. Ah but kudos to the MN chapter of Black Lives Matter, as they put out on social media that this was a suicide, in part hoping people would forgo the obligatory destruction of the city. Sadly that didn't happen. 

Back to the incitement though. If it's going to be alleged that "Umbrella Man" is responsible for stirring up a tense situation in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing, then shouldn't the aforementioned young lady be held to the same standard? Eh. Probably not since they obviously can't tie her to some sort of "white supremacist" group.

Speaking of which, whatever happened to "Umbrella Man?" Why it's almost as if his being a "white supremacist" were a media concoction to absolve rioters of personal responsibility while quenching the thirst for an actual affront by a "white supremacist." I guess such an exercise is easier than actually addressing root causes of a major problem. 

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