Plenty of blame over protests

The death of George Floyd was one month ago today. Since then we have seen a number of violent protests, including Tuesday night in Madison. It was an ugly scene. Statues were toppled, windows broken, buildings vandalized. One state Senator who was trying to record the scene was brutally beaten. It can be easy to pick sides in this ongoing controversy over police brutality, but in reality there is plenty of blame to go around. Protesters who use vandalism and violence are at the top of that list. It is no longer even clear what they are protesting. It seems to have gone beyond police brutality or even racial equality. Some are angry at the Mayor of Madison as well as Governor Tony Evers for not doing more to stop the violence.  One lawmaker is even calling on Evers to resign. Our lawmakers cannot escape the blame. Since the death of George Floyd, Wisconsin lawmakers have not even returned to Madison to hold a debate about the future of policing in Wisconsin. They have done nothing to show they are willing to make changes. In Washington, federal lawmakers continue to battle partisan differences and a bill to reform police protocol is stuck in limbo. Until our politicians show that they hear the voices of protesters, and take action to address their concerns, rightly or wrongly, we are going to continue to see more of the ugliness witnessed in Madison Tuesday night.