If we all got as upset about the injustice in our society that’s suffered by the minority, instead of getting upset about how upset they are about it, we’d move past both the injustice and destruction much more quickly and live in a better world. just my 2 cents.
25 Likes
Are both mutually exclusive? I have a pretty hard time understanding the complacency at the destruction of property of uninvolved people, and also don’t understand the inference that voicing your opposition to destruction means you don’t support social reform.
15 Likes
Well said. I couldn’t agree more.
4 Likes
The instagram culture has done a pretty good job of making them mutually exclusive, unfortunately.
2 Likes
Exactly my feeling, and well said.
2 Likes
I would have an easier time with people focusing on property damage if those who are so concerned about businesses boarding up were more – or even equally – vocal about the grievances of protesters. That usually isn’t the case. The implication is that they value property more than the systemic issues of injustice in our society.
4 Likes
I generally agree, but it does seem like there’s a small, very visible contingent of folks who seem to be motivated more by wanton chaos then achieving actual social change. I view it as a sort immaturity meets punk meets opportunity to smash stuff situation. I understand and empathize with the anger of many and perhaps some of the “rioters” are genuine in the physical if not wise expression of that anger, but–and perhaps because I’ve known a few people like this myself in good old Berkeley, CA–I feel there’s a subset of folks who just use the situation as an excuse to do bad sh1t in the name of some generalized anti-authoritarian creed, without really having a true passion or stake in the fight for equality. I suppose this is off-topic…
4 Likes
But you are unfairly assuming things about people. This is a development forum and we are in a Retail/Restaurant News Thread. The boarded up buildings and restaurants fits the topic. Does everybody really need to preface all comments in here by including their stance on the grievances of protestors? I’m pretty vocal about my opinions on the matter, but I believe this isn’t the right place to continually voice them when posting. Who is actually doing the destruction and if it’s fair to relate it to the movement (like ExSF mentioned above) is another muddy topic that could be discussed ad-nauseum, but I don’t think this thread is the right place.
It’s far too easy and common nowadays to judge and write people off based on inferred or implied reasoning.
3 Likes
I am not making unfair assumptions. There are certain people in this forum who have been very vocal about their opposition to the BLM movement and their lack of sympathy toward (or unwillingness to understand) the persistent history of racism in this country. This shows up repeatedly in the politics and gentrification threads, among others. These same people are the ones who are most vocal about property damage. Outside of this forum, I have observed the same pattern across all of my social media feeds, and I was commenting on that trend.
While I agree with you that it is possible to be sympathetic to businesses and protesters at the same time, I do not think that it is too much to expect of people to be able to express solidarity for one without undermining the other. This is an issue that is especially close to me, because my dad owns a restaurant and had shattered windows, on top of several months of being thousands in the red due to COVID, on top of also suffering a severe back injury that’s left him unable to walk. It’s been an extremely trying period for our family, and the damage felt like being hit while he was already down. We are also a minority-owned business, for what it’s worth.
Yes, it’s a pain to deal with insurance/get the repairs. Yes, business is hurting. But the black community is hurting more, and has been for centuries. I am first and foremost vocal about my solidarity with protesters, and I recognize that focusing on broken glass over the safety and lives of an entire community shows a skewed sense of priorities. I would prefer protests to happen without the consequence of property damage, but I also recognize the naivety of assuming change will happen cleanly through the existing political process. So while I don’t condone riots, I understand them. Too many lines have been crossed, too many innocent people murdered through state-sanctioned violence, too many communities over-policed and otherwise neglected to expect anyone to react in a manner that is palatable and nondisruptive to the status quo.
As business owners, we are not alone in this, by the way.
Many small-business owners have refused to be used as a pretext for maligning protesters. Missy O’Reilly, the owner of an East Village karaoke bar, says that the damage to her establishment “sucks” but it is only “only broken glass and stolen booze,” which is “an easy fix compared to what people of color are dealing with in this country.” Another café owner whose storefront had been smashed simply replied, “If this is the price we have to pay for human rights, so be it.” Salih Mothana, a Yemeni immigrant whose store, Express Food Market in the South Side of Chicago, was destroyed amid protests, responded, “I understand why it happened, and it’s OK…. It’s not like I have to blame someone for this. I understand why this happened. If it sends out the message, it doesn’t matter to us.” Zahalea Anderson, the owner of the Urban League of Self-Defense, thinks that property destruction was politically necessary and continues to support the protests in spite of her personal losses. “I think we’ve tried a lot of ways to be heard,” she said. “People riot because they can’t speak it no more. They just have to show you.”
Of course, none of us can speak for everyone else. There are an equal number of business owners who have spoken out about the senselessness of targeting small, minority businesses in particular. I just think this is one of those times where people’s true values tend to show in the way that they speak about these issues.
8 Likes
Gates back up around capital. More being boarded back up downtown
For those keeping score, 7 businesses have gone under from 100 W Hargett to 200 E Hargett in the past 6 months. I’m not trying to be pessimistic, but its a damn mess.
3 Likes
True. It seems to be getting worse. Every time there is some hope, plywood goes back up.
Florida just pretty much just opened everything back up. We shall see how much North Carolina will in the coming months.
3 Likes
Destruction of a random person’s personal property can never be justified to me. My moral character is not worse because of these views either.
My neighborhood is downtown. I bet the majority of these excuse makers live in the suburbs immune from the immediate aftermath.
7 Likes
I know Leo is watching here with a finger halfway on the delete button, so I’ll be quick and leave.
Can’t we meet in the middle here and rally against disinformation and divide-and-conquer techniques carried out on social media/independent media most likely, at least partially by foreign agencies that would absolutely love to know a bunch of educated stakeholders in a fast growth city are arguing and disagreeing over whether or not social justice riots and property destruction are justified or not?
Could foreign planned/stoked riots and destruction of property potentially be the perfect weapon to divide us?
exiting soapbox
1 Like
Agreed. Except for using the Washington Post as a neutral source. 
3 Likes
lol, exiting as well. I’ve observed these comments for months now without engaging, but I’ve said my piece now. 
1 Like
All this news is on topic IMO. However, it would be best to talk about the businesses themselves and how they can thrive (or not) in the current climate, rather than our own feelings and perception of each other’s feelings.
I just saw the city is closing down Fayetteville Street for the weekend so sure, Here we go Again, but if you’re uncomfortable, take it out on our city leaders who should be leading us towards solutions.
11 Likes
The mayor needs to ban protests, anything that is conducive to violence is banned. How hard is that?
How does attacking business owners address the root of the problem anyways? It’s like if you cut me off on the highway and I go decide to drive my car into a business, or a crowd of people-simply because it’s ‘not right’ or because I’ve been hurt (or even if the crime is bigger than being cut off)-how is it said business/crowd’s fault? Makes zero logic. Go vote and exact change. And Mayor, please leave this out of the city and from any civilized space for that matter.
2 Likes
Well said. Freedom of speech does not include shutting down businesses.
2 Likes