Ta-Nehisi Coates' conclusion begins with a dubious evasion itself: "When nonviolence is preached as an attempt to evade the repercussions of political brutality, it betrays itself."
Is this why nonviolence was exhorted last night by community leaders, politicians and city officials? To "evade" the repercussions of political brutality? Or did they preach nonviolence because the damage being done was to the city's victims of mob violence?
Coates continues: "When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse."
But who, precisely, was "the aggressor"? Was it, as Coates suggests, "the Baltimore police, and the society that superintends them?" That's one helluva huge swath; so immense, it renders the aggressor utterly unidentifiable. Like those who will condemn the riots out of racial animus, Coates seeks refuge in an empty generalization. This explains nothing, answers nothing, offers nothing.
He goes on: "When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con."
The "politicians" Coates saw "calling for young people in Baltimore to remain peaceful and 'nonviolent,'" were they somehow "conning" the young when they reprehended the arsonist destruction of "a large senior center under construction," or stores being looted at innocents' expense, or city property being "set ablaze"; when they censured the "heaps of violence" that a few citizens were inflicting on all others? When citizen "Joe Lewis, 41, of Cherry Hill, said he and his brother tried to stop the rioters and urged them to move on," was he joining "The Man" in his official con?
Coates ends: "None of this can mean that rioting or violence is 'correct' or 'wise,' any more than a forest fire can be 'correct' or 'wise.' Wisdom isn't the point tonight. Disrespect is. In this case, disrespect for the hollow law and failed order that so regularly disrespects the rioters themselves."
Riotous mobs and irresponsible hordes, then, are as blameless and lacking in human agency as forest fires? Is Coates himself "wise" in thus dehumanizing group behavior — especially when one could just as conveniently excuse other group behaviors? — say, that of large, bureaucratic organizations such as urban police departments? And if wisdom isn't the point, and disrespect is — a disrespect that merely exacerbates "hollow law and failed order" — then God help us. Wisdom should always be cardinal; indeed, it might have informed the rioters that their disrespect, as rolled out last night, would translate into only self-destruction.
Ta-Nehisi Coates has an excellent mind. I wish he'd use it by transcending the platitudes and easy evasions of textbook sociology, for they have gotten us nowhere.