Maybe CHOP won’t last, but something is changing. Our national groupthink, as maintained with such stalwart certainty over the last half century by centrist politics and the mainstream media, seems to be crumbling before our very eyes.

And as the groupthink crumbles, a larger awareness opens. Progressive thinking is finding its way back into the collective conversation, allowing the nation to begin transcending situation normal — you know, militarized policing keeps us safe, racism is a thing of the past, etc., etc. — and opening up the possibility that we can begin creating a complexly compassionate future.

This small beginning has emerged from the police murder of George Floyd and the global uprising that followed. The media and many political and corporate leaders, instead of uniting to marginalize the protesters, as they have always done in the past (with the help of the police, of course), are sitting there in a stunned semblance of agreement: Yeah, something’s wrong. We’ve got to make changes.

Joe Motil, former Columbus City Council candidate and longtime outspoken critic of the Columbus Police Department states, “Sunday’s use of tear gas and pepper spray on peaceful protesters in downtown Columbus should not have surprised anyone. Even with the mayor’s new directive on prohibiting the use of tear gas by Columbus Police on peaceful protesters just five days ago, Columbus cops continue to ignore any such orders.”

“And why on earth were members of the CPD dressed in riot gear? Putting on riot gear also puts officers in the mindset of preparing themselves to perform combat. The sight of this riot gear only escalated matters. It would appear that Chief Quinlan has lost control of his department,” he said.               

Motil states that, an AP wire story in the June 22 Columbus Dispatch titled, “Injuries at protests draw review of weapons” claims that, “Rubber bullets and similar projectiles have damaged eyes or blinded at least 20 individuals from ages 16 to 59, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, since protests began over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.”

Tuesday, June 23, 2020, 5:00 - 7:00 PM