What Exactly Are They Protesting?

I have seen no evidence - nothing but heated left-wing rhetoric - that substantiates anything Trump has done that is "king-like".

Picture Credit: KUTV 2News Salt Lake City

I have posted a few of the links to Democrats defining the illegal alien crisis in terms of how it affects them and asked the Norm McDonald inspired question “Won’t someone please think about the plight of the rich white progressives who apparently can’t wash their own dishes, mow their own lawns, provide their own nail care, and lastly, wipe their own asses?

For those who may not remember, comedian McDonald went viral for this tweet in December of 2016: ““What terrifies me is if ISIS were to detonate a nuclear device and kill 50 million Americans. Imagine the backlash against peaceful Muslims?” Of course, on par with the constant headlines at the New York times that fit the pattern of “World to end tomorrow, women, children, and people of color hardest hit.”

But at a logical level, these progressives are saying the quiet thing out loud – what they are proposing is a permanent underclass of illegal aliens – which caused me to wonder if the creation of such a class is a guarantee of permanent discord and violence, something that the rich progressives won’t be affected by, but everybody else will.

Some say the question of whether certain cultures are more prone to violence hinges on historical, social, and environmental contexts, not inherent traits, but is that really true? Violence does vary across cultures due to circumstances like conflict, governance, or societal norms – for example, globally, the World Health Organization reports homicide rates in Latin America (20-30 per 100,000) far exceed Western Europe’s (1-2 per 100,000).

But what about examples from American Indian history. Certain tribes were peaceful, but certain tribes thrived on war because war was part of their culture.

Historically, some American Indian tribes developed warlike cultures. The Comanche, for instance, dominated the Southern Plains through aggressive raids on neighboring tribes and settlers, as documented in S.C. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon. Their warrior culture, rooted in survival and prestige, led to relentless campaigns against the Apache, Navajo, and Mexicans. Similarly, the Apache, under leaders like Geronimo, were notorious for hit-and-run tactics against U.S. and Mexican forces, driven by resistance to encroachment. In contrast, tribes like the Pueblo were more sedentary and less warlike, showing cultural context matters.

In modern America, riots—violent public disturbances involving looting or clashes—often involve marginalized groups, particularly lower-income urban communities and racial minorities. FBI crime data and the 1960s Kerner Commission link riots to economically disadvantaged areas, predominantly African American and Hispanic. The 1992 Los Angeles riots, sparked by the Rodney King verdict, ravaged Black and Latino neighborhoods, causing over $1 billion in damages. The 2020 George Floyd protests, per the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, saw rioting in cities like Minneapolis, often in minority-heavy, low-income areas. U.S. Census data shows Black (19.5%) and Hispanic (17%) poverty rates outstrip white rates (10.6% in 2023), fueling distrust in institutions like police, which ignites unrest. Riots aren’t about race but systemic issues—poverty, unemployment, and perceived injustice.

Wealthier, predominantly white suburbs rarely riot, as cultural norms emphasize stability and trust in law enforcement. Yet, white working-class communities, like those in the 2016 West Virginia opioid protests, riot when grievances peak, proving it’s not race but context. Globally, “honor cultures,” like those in the Middle East or rural Appalachia, normalize violence over slights, per studies on Southern U.S. violence. The Comanche and Apache shared similar honor-driven warrior codes, but these were learned, not genetic.

And what if the protest cause is manufactured?

I just posted this as a Facebook post from one of our local TV stations reporting on the “No Kings” protest here in Salt Lake over the weekend (it has over 3800 comments):

I have no problem with peaceful protest - but did any of you question exactly what you are protesting? I have seen no evidence - nothing but heated left-wing rhetoric - that substantiates anything Trump has done that is "king-like". I've seen and heard a lot of assumptions about what he might do, completely dishonest charges, opinions treated as facts, and the aforementioned rhetoric - most directly at odds of what the last president (or someone) did to restrict civil liberties and speech during his term. You might not like our government’s approach to illegal aliens being present in America, but they are acting in accordance with the law.

Honest question: what is it, exactly, that you think you are protesting?

It seems to me that no culture - tribal, racial, or class-based - is fated to violence – but it sure as hell can be trained into them. Education, opportunity, and stability can shift outcomes, but it certainly seems violence has been adopted by some groups/cultures as a first response rather than a last resort.