Gen Zers Who Watched BLM Burn Down the Country Have No Sympathy for L.A. Riots

Riots have become an all-too-familiar sight on American television screens. The country seems constantly braced for radical extremism disguised as “peaceful protests.” The images of car burnings and “F*ck ICE” graffiti coming out of Los Angeles last week are only the latest. Unfortunately, these incidents are so similar to the Black Lives Matter riots of 2020, that California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom tried to score some pathetic political points by correcting someone who mixed up a video from 2020 with a current video. In the five years since the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, California is still stuck in its fiery, lawless ways.

I turned 18 one week after George Floyd was killed. I didn’t post any photos on my birthday because that was the day when social media users were pressured into posting a black square online. No restaurants were open because of Covid, so my family cooked dinner at home, then afterwards we gathered around the television to watch live coverage of riots across the country.

At 23 years old, I’m now indifferent to rioting. During the Michael Brown protests, I remember trembling at the images of cops wearing gas masks, coming out of the smoke towards legions of screaming protestors. Even Kyle Rittenhouse’s story jarred me, especially since he was only a few months younger than I was and his infamous incident occurred less than an hour from my house. These protests became increasingly frequent and close to home, and as they did, my attitude towards them changed.

Eighteen-year-olds are typically known to be idealists with starry-eyed dreams of equality and global peace. In the past, liberals have taken advantage of this naivety to build an energetic coalition of misinformed college kids. This seemed to be a reliable phenomenon, with around 43 percent of Gen Z adults aged 18-24 identifying as liberal. However, recent studies have found that Gen Z teens are far more likely to have moderate political views, have their parents’ religious affiliations, and distrust political institutions.

Shutting down schools, businesses, and even playgrounds during Covid impacted younger children in a severe way, as they lost human contact during a crucial stage of their development. Like me, many were cut off from friends and activities, with nothing more than a screen left to entertain them. (Read more from “Gen Zers Who Watched BLM Burn Down the Country Have No Sympathy for L.A. Riots” HERE)