Permit me to add a touch of context about the riots sweeping the country over the inexcusable killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Inevitably, the legitimate, peaceful protesting occurs while the sun is still up. Then the sun goes down, making it much more difficult to identify people and thus begins the almost ritual burning and robbing of stores, police cars, stoning of police, graffiti artists emerge and ply their trade, etc., all the while being cheered on by a mob. There is no other word to describe such gatherings.

The media, including the Sun Journal, prints reports of the action all breathlessly, as if the rioters are blameless, spurred on by just their righteous anger, yada, yada, yada. Of course, if you can pick up a nice $1,500 TV, a case of really high-class booze that you ordinarily couldn’t afford and some nice new shoes and other clothes all for free while expressing your righteous anger, well, that’s OK, too.

If anyone honestly believes that protest is all that this is about, I have some oceanfront land just outside Phoenix, Arizona, that I can let you have for pennies on the dollar.

By the way, the whole thing started when Mr. Floyd was arrested for allegedly trying to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.

Terence McManus, New Sharon