There seems to be a growing tide of stories about police excesses, followed by ugly destructive riots.  Baltimore has followed quickly on the heels of Ferguson, MO.  The mysterious death of Freddie Gray while in police custody has caused an explosion of violence that took the city by surprise.

The rioters can and should be held culpable for seizing on an excuse to indulge in an orgy of burning and pillaging.  Attempts by those analyzing the violence to recast it as a racial struggle or a freedom fight or a revolution must be resisted.  A recent CNN commentator went a bit over the edge when he said that the rioters are engaged in “righteous rage” against “police terrorism” and that the city is “not burning because of these protesters. The city is burning because the police killed Freddie Gray and that’s a distinction we have to make.” (Marc Lamont Hill on Breitbart.com)

Unfortunately it is in the moments when those we trust the most let us down, that the opportunity arises for such opinions. The police should not be completely let off the hook here.  As a component of the public service, they should not brutalize those they are charged with protecting.  Of course, as long as the uniforms are filled by humans, there will be corruption within the ranks, but as an entity the police force should be vigilant in fighting against it.  They should avoid arrogance, remembering that their role is to be public servants, not public lords and masters.

Is this a sign that our civilization is decaying? Of course, the answer is “yes”, but it is no more than the same primordial decay that has afflicted humanity from the beginning.

We call this series “Reflections of the Fall.”