The Republican National Convention was eerily similar to the tone of the last convention held in St. Paul in 2008, but more grim. I covered some of the action on the ground between police, protesters, and the songs of political change by Rage Against the Machine in Minneapolis, where a larger than life crowd marched down First Avenue and confronted a horse brigade of police.
The GOP has successfully aligned itself with law enforcement, its unions (ironically), and other leaders.
The Democrats have not been nearly as successful with law enforcement alignment during times of political upheaval in America. The mostly centrist Democrats today within the cocktail club type party that it now is tries to pander to two sides with little consistency, or clarity in how to deal with scary issues.
This includes issues such as police brutality, violence against law enforcement, division among the public, and a criminal justice and law enforcement system that seems to be broken.
The New York Post recently ran an article about the convention, and its theme of “safety” as Donald Trump (R-N.Y.) heads into the election as the nominee.
Former Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton (D-N.Y.), meanwhile is still trying to find a way to bring voters into the fold to support her over Trump. Things are not looking good at the moment as the candidates are within the margin of error according to most recent polls hovering around 40 percent for each candidate.
True and honest candidates on the left or in the Independent or Libertarian spectrum are still not part of the debate whatsoever.
This includes former Governor Gary Johnson (L-N.M.), Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.), and Jill Stein (G-Mass.). The tensions in the country are coming to a boiling point it seems, and each election cycle seems to become more intense, as social pressures mount on the public, including police officers, protesters and the working class.
I had interviewed a young man and other young men near the convention area who said their groups were targeted by police. Several protesters at rallies in St. Paul in 2012 prepared by bringing gas masks to deal with tear gas.
Marchers just making it back to #JamarClark's memorial. #Justice4Jamar pic.twitter.com/EtLudZvGwJ
— northern transplant (@colocha_rachel) March 31, 2016
Others didn’t expect to be caught in the middle between random violence, overwhelming police response (there were police from departments across the country equipped with full riot gear in large numbers), and protest movements. There were outdoor concerts at a park nearby at the time.
The feeling of tension was high four years ago in Minnesota, and this was at the height of the Occupy Movement and cyber activism.
The Mood Seems Heavier
Since 2012, with the rise of smartphones, more and more videos showing unarmed people shot by police has enraged many. Extremists have shot and killed police officers at Black Lives Matter protests, unfairly characterizing the entire movement, as was the case with the Occupy movement when anarchists took to the streets in St. Paul near peaceful protesters demanding legitimate change in their beloved country, and rallying near the convention there.
People like Sheriff David Clarke have been able to demonize the Black Lives Matter and Occupy movements by linking them with these acts of violence by a few, drawing a line in the sand and further dividing the public.
Sec. Clinton, however is not a trusted candidate to many civil rights and civil liberties advocates either and her agenda is also unclear for those who supported Bernie Sanders and somehow thought Trump would be better than Clinton.
The violence in 2016 has definitely been tuned up compared with the last time around. The changes that most Americans are demanding, regardless of political party, are not being met and the divisions are largely distractions.
People on the left who supported the Sanders campaign were furious with delegates and super delegates in their decisions during primaries.
Voter fraud has also been alleged, and lawsuits filed in some states over the issue.
In this election, it isn’t quite clear that anyone is really getting what they want politically from the establishment to those who are rejecting it one way or the other. The economy, but also key social policies, will need to be addressed or we may expect to see even more raging eruptions coming from the streets in America by 2020. The convention may be a good indicator of national mood on the streets.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via Twitter.
