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Letter to the editor: Ramping up of vigilantism comes from our leaders

Philip B. Huff
Frisco

Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old white male, killed two people and wounded a third after walking alongside peaceful protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Aug. 25. Rittenhouse’s social media presence was full of “blue lives matter” posts. The ramping up of vigilantism comes straight from our leaders. On Wednesday, Mike Pence lamented the death of federal officer Dave Underwood, who was “shot and killed during the riots in Oakland.” In reality, Underwood was killed on a nearly empty street in a drive-by shooting conducted by a Boogaloo supporter. The Boogaloo Bois are a militant white nationalist group. “Blue lives matter” protests, as we have seen in Summit County, are conducted by uninformed and radicalized members of our population and can infect policing. The support for police endangers both peaceful citizens as well as the police themselves by bringing a level of anger into a discussion and into a setting which deserves neither. Last week, Portland police stepped aside and allowed armed militants, some were identified as Boogaloo members, to engage in fighting as they watched.


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