I'd resisted making one of these journals, mostly because I'm not a big famous artist with a lot of clout, I'm clumsy at writing these sorts of things, and very few people will see it. But I suppose every little bit helps.

First off, I wish it didn't have to be like this. Riots are dangerous for everyone involved. They carry the risk of inflicting both financial and physical harm on innocent people, they encourage further militarization of police forces, and they make racists even more hateful and determined (believe it or not, we still haven't reached peak racism in the United States, it can get even worse). No matter what good comes from these riots, there will also be unavoidable negative consequences. That said, I completely understand why these riots are happening.
In 2014, Eric Gardner was murdered by an NYPD officer who put him in a chokehold while arresting him for the crime of selling unlicensed cigarettes. His plea of "I can't breathe" was ignored as other police looked on, and this phrase became the center of an entire protest movement to prevent this sort of brutality from ever happening again. It happened again. And again. And again. Eric Gardner's murderer was never held accountable and nothing changed.
In 2020, George Floyd was murdered in almost identical circumstances, down to the phrase "I can't breathe". He was only one of many people of color, several of them children, who were killed by overzealous cops, but I think Floyd's murder in particular really put into perspective how little had changed in the past six years. All the peaceful protests and outrage about Eric Gardner's death had done literally nothing. Cops were still killing with impunity and getting away scot-free. The resulting fury is entirely understandable to anyone with an ounce of compassion or empathy, and more than that, it got results. Right now, all four of the officers directly involved with George Floyd's death are under arrest, and I'm sorry to say that I don't think that would have happened if there had been only peaceful protests. America has grown too used to ignoring and dismissing protests, then forgetting anything ever happened. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "A riot is the language of the unheard." When violence is the only language those in authority speak, it's the only one they'll respond to.
At least, that's my take. I understand that the vast majority of the protesters are peaceful and are trying to prevent damage to people or property, and at least recently most of the looting and vandalism seems to be the acts of white people, so please don't take my opinion as endorsement of rioting. Riots should never be the go-to option for getting justice, but when every attempt at peaceful solution is mocked, criticized, ignored and systematically eliminated for decades on end, I can't blame people for trying the only thing left. I'm just sorry that America has grown so overwhelmingly racist that fires in the streets are seemingly the only way to get people to acknowledge that there's a problem.

Meanwhile, the police and government have decided that the best way to respond to protests against police brutality is to triple down on police brutality. The past few days have been a horror show of videos showing police running over protesters with horses and vehicles, deliberately targeting journalists, blasting peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas with no provocation whatsoever, covering their badge numbers to prevent being held accountable for their actions, swarming cars and dragging out the occupants, and other depraved and illegal acts. Trump and his ilk are threatening to unleash the military on their own citizens, he had peaceful protesters gassed for the sake of a photo op in front of a church (the clergy at the church were also driven off just as brutally, and they're not happy about it), and he seems to be doing everything he can to escalate the situation and encourage more bloodshed. I'm alarmed that we're growing very, very close to either a fascist police state or a second civil war.

I'm not out protesting, much as I'd like to be. I'm a caretaker for an elderly man with Alzheimer's, and I'm scared of catching COVID in the crowds and passing it on to him. I'm willing to risk my own safety, but risking his is not my choice to make. Instead, I've been donating to Black Lives Matter and other related causes and trying to give support to friends who are more directly involved. If there are any organizations you'd recommend sending a donation to right now, please leave me a comment below. Most people seem to be shutting off comments for these posts, but I'm going to leave mine open- I'd like to hear peoples' suggestions for how else I can help, perspectives from people actually involved in the protests, and other thoughts. If you're a racist troll, don't bother- you will be blocked without comment. Whine all you like about how intolerance of racism makes ME the fascist, but I'm long past the point of caring what you have to say or feeling like you deserve a platform.

Wish I could end on a more positive note, but these are hopeless, dark times and I don't see them getting better any time soon. Stay safe out there.