Burris: The fabric is fraying – By Keith Burris (Toledo Blade/Opinion) / May 31 2020
Some years ago, I interviewed Andrew Young, the civil rights leader, former mayor of Atlanta, and former congressman and ambassador to the U.N. — a wise and brave man. Something he said shocked me.
He said: Atlanta is a city more easygoing and tolerant than most, a melting pot, an incubator of pluralism. But it could turn into a powder keg in a moment. If the wrong things happened in the right sequence, it would blow.
He added that the social fabric is always less resilient and enduring than we think. We are always closer than we want to believe to ugly conflict, to violence, maybe even civil war.
I thought of that this week as we all watched, in horror, as events unfolded in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis and St. Paul are about as progressive, and friendly, and peaceful, as cities get. And this in a state as enlightened as a state gets.
But there on our computer and TV screens was the horrific scene of police brutality and abuse. And, despite its liberal rep, the Twin Cities had similar, glaring cases of police misconduct in 2016 and 2017.
Continue to article: https://www.toledoblade.com/opinion/keithburris/2020/05/31/commentary-fabric-is-fraying-politics-coronavirus-george-floyd/stories/20200531033
