zlacker

> The MLK quote is trotted out pretty often, but "a riot is the language of the unheard".

MLK Jr was unequivocally non-violent. That quote was in the context of explaining the root cause of the rioting, not condoning or endorsing it.

Don't trust anyone trying to tell you MLK Jr would have supported violent protests.

They are either trying to manipulate you or sadly ignorant (or both, of course). In either case they have it wrong, in terms of history and in the implication that violent protest will lead to any kind of progress or justice.

>>jmull+(OP)
Do note the reverse though. Don’t let everyone who labels violence as unequivocally wrong trick you into thinking that all riots are due to bad people. You’re right in that MLK Jr’s point wasn’t to promote riots. However, if you automatically label all riots as being bad, you’ve also missed the deeper point MLK Jr was trying to make:

listen to your fellow humans

When you see news about a riot, your first instinct should be to ask why? What are they rioting about? What was being said that led to this situation? Were people listening? How did they respond?

Not make a judgement of them.

This is where media has great power in controlling the narrative. If they don’t report on what happened prior to the riots (ex: peaceful protests, calls to representatives for action, etc), then it becomes very hard to see rioters as human beings with a voice.

Edit: note that I’m not making a judgement on OP. I writing this because I often see this reaction to riots and people often take away the wrong message both ways.