Looks like we mostly agree on a lot of things. I see systemic racism as a tool of capitalism to keep us fighting each other instead of turning on the real oppressors. However, your mileage may vary; we all have differing worldviews that come from our own experiences.
As for the folks acting out in Seattle and Portland, I'm not there so I can't say much. The pictures I've seen of the crowds look pretty Black and Brown to me, and King also said that rioting is the voice of the voiceless. Photos can be manipulated, though, and I'm not there to see what's really going on.
I agree, bigotry and hate cannot defeat bigotry and hate. King said this also. Yet the Black rage and pain now bursting into public view is understandable, and it does not influence public policy like systemic racism does.
Even so, the rage that we now see directed against ordinary White and White-passing folks is disturbing, and one can only hope that the better angels of our nature will prevail. I've had up close and personal run-ins with Black Supremacist groups such as the Hebrew Israelites and the Nation of Islam, and their brand of bigotry is no better than anyone else's. For that matter, White folks have groups like the Proud Boys, the Aryan Nation, and the KKK at the fringes also.
Only a tiny fraction of people of any color group support the extremists at the fringes of their respective groups. But there are about 200 million White and White-passing folks in the USA, so this tiny fraction of fringe supporters works out to some pretty large numbers including some people in positions of great power. The New Black Panther Party and similar groups may set our collective nerves on edge, but they and their supporters are few, and any illegal act they commit is met with instant repercussions. They're nowhere near as worrisome as the White Power folks who act with impunity as they infiltrate the police force, the military, and the so-called President's ears, mind, and heart.
Bottom line: we've got to start listening to each other, really listening. Otherwise the fire in people's hearts will continue to spread and grow as fire in the streets.
