London Calling

Would it be inappropriate for me to note that we wouldn't be seeing riots like those in London, here in the U.S.?

Try to imagine what would happen here, even in Seattle. On the first night, people would perhaps be taken by surprise, we'd have a public outcry. Maybe we would think it was over, and not prepare for the second night. But by the third night, most every business would be under armed guard, and it wouldn't take many dead rioters before the whole affair would come to an abrupt end.

It likely wouldn't even reach a third night. Business owners would arm themselves and stand watch and people would die. And rioters, most of them, would understand this, and fewer of them would even bother coming out. We don't tend to have multi-night riots in the U.S.

There are exceptions, such as the "Rodney King riots." I was in L.A. at the time, so I don't forget it. But that was a much larger group of rioters, and while the shopowners abandoned by the police did arm themselves, many of the rioters were armed too. So I guess my point is that if it happens in the U.S., it will only be if the rioters outnumber the shopowners and cops ... which means, stay out of L.A. and you'll be fine. Even then, the federal government stepped in to stop the rioting and widespread rioting was finished by the fourth night.

For now, I leave comparisons of London and Wisconsin to the reader.