Some of America’s 65 million caregivers could probably work in a peaceful protest. The caregiver and loved one can simultaneously get some fresh air, participate in a good cause, and get some exercise. Burning down the system, however, simply takes too much energy. It’s all about the math — the number of hours one logs in the emergency room is in direct proportion to how much time can be allotted to destroy the property of others.
Since it’s hard to pillage while pushing a loved one in a wheelchair, it’s a good bet that few of the rioters were family caregivers.
The incessant need to rage withers under the strain of caring for a disabled family member. Dealing with a developmentally disabled child repeatedly screaming through the night curtails the ability to head downtown and light fires. A spouse facing her 80th surgery overrides the need to loot Macy’s, steal a Gucci purse, or deface a treasured monument. A mentally-ill family member cursing and striking you, or a father with dementia who seems to have bowel movements in every room except the restroom — leaves little strength for vandalizing. Stressing over an addict/alcoholic circling the drain consumes too much of the day to allow for rioting.
Some of America’s 65 million caregivers could probably work in a peaceful protest. The caregiver and loved one can simultaneously get some fresh air, participate in a good cause, and get some exercise. Burning down the system, however, simply takes too much energy. It’s all about the math — the number of hours one logs in the emergency room is in direct proportion to how much time can be allotted to destroy the property of others.
Plus, after the riot, you’re still a caregiver — except now the local pharmacy smolders in an ash heap, the ambulance services grow sparse, and the nearest grocery is in ruins. With too much to destroy and so little time, rioters can’t be bothered with that type of perspective. Quotas of carnage must be met, otherwise there will be trouble at the home office of Antifa.
