An open letter to protesters

Dear protesters,

On Thursday, May 28, you had won.

The police officer responsible for the death was arrested and charged. The entire world was in agreement that the treatment the apprehended victim received was wrong.

If you had accepted that you won, you could have moved on to trying to make changes that would actually help matters. You could have focused on passing laws to address the judicial doctrine of qualified immunity, or worked to reform the unions that fight to keep bad cops employed.

Instead, you rioted. You looted. You destroyed property, people's livelihoods.

A lot of people were willing to excuse police brutality because it happens in the heat of the moment, with the risk to the police officer's life being of a level unknown, but very real. On Thursday, you made most of these people change their mind.

Today, after hearing chants of "All cops are bastards" and seeing police officers injured and killed in the line of duty, they're back to giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Great job, guys.