In the Old Testament Israelites avoided the plague of death visiting the firstborn in Egypt, by placing a signifier on their home. The Angel Of Death would pass over any residence that had blood painted on its front door frame.
For Cheryl Selby, the Mayor of Olympia, Washington, this technique did not work with protestors in her city. Selby has been a very outspoken proponent of the protests. She has attended rallies, sought to speak to the crowds, and knelt in solidarity with Black Lives Matter organizers. Things changed over the weekend.
Two groups made their way through downtown Olympia, some tagging and vandalizing businesses while they worked there way toward the home Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby. https://t.co/cFHFYu2wzO
— The Olympian (@theolympian) June 13, 2020
After this incident in her neighborhood suddenly her impressions of things were altered.
Mayor Cheryl Selby of Olympia, Wash is upset BLM vandalized her house after she had voiced support for the protesters. "I'm really trying to process this," the mayor said Saturday. "It's like domestic terrorism. It's unfair."
Well, what did she expect? A participation trophy?
— Sally Eastman (@sallyeastman1) June 16, 2020
We are curious to learn exactly what distinction exists with vandalism that is categorized as ”fair”, and that considered ”unfair”. Maybe she was referring to the fact that she had been making all of the proper genuflecting to the movement, but despite all of that she became victimized anyway.
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Take a look at this clip from a security camera at the home of Mayor Selby. She has plenty of proper signaling in place; a gay pride flag is hung, and in the window is a placard with ”BLM” is in prominent view. Yet her home was STILL tagged with protest graffiti.
Cameras capture someone spray paint Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby’s home, writing: “BLM,” “racist” and “abolish.”
I have the mayor’s reaction on @KIRO7Seattle LIVE at 5:05pm. pic.twitter.com/GyXO7T1v7W
— Shelby Miller (@ShelbyKIRO7) June 15, 2020
It is a result that is becoming routine; just like the ”thumbs up” college kids who supported marchers and had rocks thrown through their windows, or the progressive weekly newspaper that backed the protests until its offices were looted, those who think they can exempt themselves from violence by backing the movement are always shocked to be on the receiving end of imbalanced rioters.
This calls to mind the ESPN director who was critical of police and was cheering on the fires one day, then had the police called and declared those same protestors to be ”animals” when they encroached into his gated community.
While no one should be rooting for this type of behavior you cannot help but feel a dose of smug mirth when the people who called those critical of protestors as being on the wrong side of the issue change their course once they become victimized.
They always think they will be the last to be consumed by the beast, ignorant that it means they will eventually be consumed. All they can do is criticize those interested in halting that very beast.
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