I can’t think of a single “race riot” that wasn’t a direct result of some act of police brutality (Derek Chauvin in 2020, Rodney King in the 90s, etc.), or an assassination of a black leader like the 1960s riots that followed MLK’s assassination. People don’t get that upset for no reason. Telling black Americans to sit down and shut up, basically, when they feel their civil rights are under attack isn’t a viable solution.
Police brutality undermines public trust in the cops — leading to fewer tips, more unsolved crimes, more gang-related murders, etc. Police have to follow the law or they won’t be seen as guardians of the community’s safety, it’s as simple as that.
Riots are bad, but we have to understand where they come from and how to prevent them.
Reform the police, implement better rules of engagement, fire the “bad apples” before they commit a police murder — those are the solutions.