This is a rebuttal to Chronicle columnist John McCroskey’s recent commentary titled “The good guys don’t burn cars, harm cops, block streets, and wave foreign flags”
You’re right, Mr. McCroskey: The good guys don’t destroy property. Those who do should be held accountable for their crimes. We can absolutely agree on that. But I’d like to address some of the other points you made in your piece.
At one point, you wrote, “Somewhere in all this there has to be some common sense.”
I’d like to start there — but first, let’s clarify some definitions, to ensure we’re speaking the same language:
Protest: A statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something. (Protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.)
Riot: A violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd. (A criminal act.)
Insurrection: A violent uprising against an authority or government. (Also a criminal act.)
Now let’s look at some facts — because numbers don’t lie.
Over five million people participated in the No Kings protests nationwide. In Centralia alone, there were about 600 participants. Based on the most reliable data I could find, approximately 137 people were arrested across the country in connection with these protests. And it’s worth noting that several of those arrested were counter-protesters — but let’s not split hairs.
Importantly, no arrests were made in Centralia, Olympia or Seattle. When you crunch the numbers, that’s roughly 0.0000274% of participants who were arrested. That’s statistically insignificant. Yes, a few committed serious crimes — we agree that rioting is unproductive, illegal and wrong.
But the overwhelming majority of the protesters attending the No Kings event on June 14, were peaceful, powerful and unifying demonstrations by citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Now, for the sake of comparison, let’s revisit the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
Estimates suggest that around 10,000 people entered the Capitol grounds that day. Roughly 2,000 entered the Capitol building, and approximately 1,500 individuals were arrested for their actions during the riot. That’s 15% of attendees that stepped onto the Capitol grounds. These individuals assaulted law enforcement officers, vandalized property and attempted to interrupt the peaceful transfer of power — the very scenario your article's title seems to warn against.
Peaceful protest is not insurrection. They are not the same.
So let’s circle back to your call for “common sense.” I’d like to offer an invitation: come to one of the peaceful protests. Witness it for yourself. Don’t rely on secondhand narratives or political entertainment masquerading as news. Attend so you can use your platform to report what you actually see, not what’s filtered through the lens of partisan media.
Because frankly, as it stands, your commentary reads as inflammatory, misinformed and disconnected from the realities on the ground. It contributes to the very division neither of us wants to see in our country. And let’s be honest — a divided country is a fragile one. It is time we all come together.
I’m always open to respectful dialogue. I’m not unreasonable — I’m simply disappointed by the direction our country is heading. My loyalty is to our country, not to any particular president.
And that, good sir, is common sense.
Dawn McAferty
Rochester
