[KSagal]

The United States has surely seen its moments of shame in this same manner. I recall the riots after certain legal decisions, like the OJ trial and the Rodney King trial.

What I have never understood, is why the rioters burn the neighborhoods. In the ones I listed, they overwhelmingly burned the inner city neighborhoods they lived in. I just don't get it.

I would not endorse it, but if poor people who feel they have gotten a bad deal from life went to a rich neighborhood, and burned that, I may at least understand what they are doing. But when they burn their own neighborhoods, it defies logic.

Perhaps that is it. This has nothing to do with logic, it is pure emotional outburst, with the perception that they will not be held accountable.

Then, eventually, it all comes down to haves and have nots. It comes down to stuff. The crowd's emotion over the original issue ebbs, and people try to profit take. I suspect at this point, the rioters are not the same as the original, but those who are climbing on the band wagon.

I do not happen to agree with Bob, and think that life in Canada or anywhere else would be the same as it is now without the American Revolution. I believe that the United States has been a singular force for good and for improvements to civilization and life on earth, and that its influence has rippled down to many other places on the planet. We are surely not the only honorable or laudable force, but our influence cannot be easily dismissed either.

All that said, a riot or revolution for the sake of getting other people to leave us alone, or to get their nose out of our business is far different than a riot or action for the sake of taking other people's stuff as your own, or to damage the property of others, for the sake of hurting them.

One of my biggest challenges as a parent, especially in these times, is to have my children understand that wrong is wrong because it is wrong, not because you will get caught, or get in trouble. It is not about avoiding punishment, it is about doing the right thing.

So much of society, press, television and much more today feeds children and anyone else who will listen that wrong is determined if you get caught or not. So much bad behavior is demonstrated or even revered in the media, without consequence.

All the initial reports about the riots that I saw reported that the police had shot and killed a man who was a father of four. No more. It was much later that you could hear that he was armed, a suspected gangster, and someone who had be surveiled by the police for some time. This does not seem the random shooting, nor a casual abuse of police power, as were the seemingly early reports.

I do hope for cooler heads to prevail. Keep safe. This too will pass. I hope that all those who are taking advantage get what is appropriate punishment, and maybe a tad more. It is time to turn the tide back toward civility being the standard, not less.