2020: The Fifty-Year Perfect Storm In The Making

By Jim Weiss, Mickey Davis and Bob O’Brien

The May 25, 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, set
off a firestorm of widespread, nationwide anti-police protests, demonstrations,
violence, rioting, and looting.

The enormity and magnitude of the 2020 unrest seemed unprecedented and
caught America by surprise. However, it wasn't unprecedented, nor should it
have been surprising. This is because fifty-two years ago in 1968, America had
also experienced similar widespread protests, violence, rioting. Also, in the
years leading up to both 2020 and 1968 there were clear signs of growing social
unrest, violence, and episodic rioting in America.

Years of Unrest and Violence

1965 — In California, the 1965 Los Angeles Watts Riot
started with a traffic stop arrest that soon turned into reports of police
brutality. The rumor quickly spread, stoking long-simmering tensions that
exploded in rioting, looting, and sniping. It took a massive response by police
and National Guard six days, 4,000 arrests, 34 deaths, and over 1,000 injuries
(accounts vary) to finally be able to restore order.

1967
— The deadly 1967 Detroit (Michigan) Riot started when police
raided an illegal, after-hours club also known as a blind pig. As with Watts,
long-simmering racial and anti-police tensions boiled over and fanned the
flames of days of destructive rioting, looting, sniping.

Ultimately,
it would take the full efforts of police, National Guard, and the U.S. Army’s
82nd and 10...