The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmad Aubery are the most recent examples of the oppression imposed on the black community. As of this writing, we are in the the ninth day of marches and protests across the country. I have to admit I am surprised these protests have gone on for this long.

For years the media has part of the public effort to document injustices; that’s a good thing. They should also take responsibility for propagating the fiction these uprisings, resulting from our social ills, can be done peacefully, without the incidental violence or looting they broadcast to us each night. They continue telling us this behavior diminishes the movement. I have to wonder if this narrative is an aspiration or willful ignorance of history.

The media should operate in the real world. They need to understand civil disobedience, looting, and violence come as a package. They should make sure people understand all three of these combine to make up the cost of oppression.