A Perfect Storm is giving Black Lives Matter a Dramatic Lift

What a 2020 this has been, am I right? Who would have thought that the year would start out with a world-wide pandemic unlike one that has been seen since 1918, and that by late spring we would see so much of the Western world in complete revolt. And, really, there doesn't seem to be any other way to put it. There does seem to be a revolution going on in the streets. Can we call it the 'American Spring'? Whatever you want to call it, it's huge. Seismic, as some might say. And it's all because of Black Lives Matter.

The Black Lives Matter movement is not new. It's been going on for quite some time now. It all started when young, unarmed Trayvon Martin was gunned down in 2012 and his killer was found not guilty. They have protested after the death of African-American men who have been killed by police, like Micheal Brown case in Ferguson, Missouri that resulted in street protests and riots. They also rallied after Eric Garner was killed in NYC.

But, the Black Lives Matter protests that have been going on now for a few weeks in the wake of the George Floyd killing in Minneapolis when a white cop knelt on his neck have been the biggest, most sustained, and most intense. Not only have their been massive rallies in big cities like New York, LA, Chicago, Minneapolis and of course Washington DC, but also in seemingly every medium, small and sometimes tiny towns all across America.

So, why are things so different this time? What has happened to bring so many people from all walks of lives, all races, all backgrounds into the streets to demand justice and exclaim 'Black Lives Matter'? There appears to be what can only be described as a perfect storm that has led to an absolute eruption of street protests.

First off, not meaning to take anything away from the Black Lives Matter movement, or imply that those who are in the street protesting don't care about the cause they are fighting for, BUT, it's fair to say that the Covid-19 epidemic played a role.

No concerts, no fairs, no movies, no parties, no events, no beaches, no camping, no graduations, no proms, no road trips, no bars, no school, temporary or permanent job loss, and lockdowns across the world of varying degrees. Right now, the only game in town is BLM. These protests are a chance for people to get out in the street with their friends and fellow protesters. Some of these protests are turning into real events, complete with stages featuring music, poetry, speeches, and other forms of entertainment. And there is little backlash against these protests happening from a pandemic point of view.

When conservatives protested to open up the country again and get the economy going, they were laughed at, mocked, attacked as being "Covidiots" and told that they were going to kill us all. Then comes the BLM movement and all of a sudden protesting is seen as noble and talk of the pandemic suddenly dries up. It's an acceptable way to get out of the house and hang out in the streets. No one has much else better to do, so out in the street they go! They can't be blamed, really. It's been a long few months of fear, lock-downs, confusion, uncertainty and isolation. Then, along comes protests for a good cause. And suddenly the streets are full.

Part of the excitement, at least in the early days, was probably the danger of it all. There were riots and looting in a number of cities across the US. The images on our TV screens were dramatic as buildings were torched and businesses were looted. How many of the people taking part in this mayhem were legit protesters is hard to say. There seem to be a lot of hardcore elements from the far-left (and even the far-right) who have attempted at times to hijack the movement.

But, it seemed even that violence and destruction was met with acceptance, and apologists made every excuse they could to justify it all. "A riot is the language of the unheard," we were told over and over again. We were told we shouldn't be so concerned with physical property, that it could be replaced. This despite the fact that many of the businesses being destroyed in the rioting were black or immigrant owned and had been suffering under the Covid-19 crisis to begin with. It was almost as if there were elements looking on that were approving of all this, and even fueling it.

Also part of this perfect storm is a deep seeded hatred towards Donald Trump and fatigue after 3 and a half years of his lack of leadership and divisive politics. To say that most of the people in the streets dislike Trump would probably be an understatement. These people are fed up with his lies, his childish antics on twitter, his bullying, his name-calling, his desire to divide the country and his lack of leadership skills. There are a good chunk of Americans who want him gone. And the anger is on display in the streets. People have had enough. And the BLM protests are giving people the opportunity to go into the streets and express their anger about leadership of the country as a whole, not just the failures of police departments, mayors or governors.

And, of course, there is the fact that no matter how much protesting people do, nothing seems to change. And more and more people are seeing that. There appears to be much more awareness of the issues around racism and police brutality than ever before. Younger kids seem to be getting that there is a real problem that needs to be addressed and are much more willing to get out there and express themselves. Many of the kids in the streets are younger and weren't of age to get out in protest over Trayvon Martin or Micheal Brown. They paid attention to these issues when they were younger. And by the time George Floyd died, many of those youngsters were ready to get into the streets and fight.

The result of all of this is some of the biggest protests seen in not only the US, but in London, Berlin, Paris, Toronto, Montreal and other international cities, in a long time. BLM cracked the ceiling. They went from being more of a fringe movement to a mainstream movement in short order thanks to a perfect storm of factors. The question is, as the economy opens up, and people get back to regular life, will the passion for the cause still remain? If Trump is hoofed out of office and there is more goodwill between the President and the people, will the anger lift and people will think that the situation with racism and police brutality is over? Will there be a new generation of kids watching what is going on and decide that they want to get involved as well, or will they look for a new direction and gravitate towards a new cause?

For now, Black Lives Matter is the dominant force when it comes to the fight for rights and human dignity...the preferred social justice issue for 2020. Hopefully, the movement can keep momentum going once the perfect storm starts to dissipate.