Let me start with the basic statement, that violence by whites, blacks, progressives, right wing groups, left wing groups, it does not matter should be condemned by everyone. So, whether one is talking about the BLM riots or the riots in the UK, there is no room for making ideological exceptions.

The same is true in the Middle East, somehow arguing the 1200 young women and babies deserved to die due to previous aggressions by Israelis does not cut it.

However, if we don't confront the source of this violence, we will never end it. The source of this violence is identity politics. No matter how much any ideology praises the importance of group identity, the dark side is the dehumanizing of other identity groups, and such dehumanization justifies violence.

Part of the Neo Marxist movement to label everyone as a member of an identity group based on skin color, religion, ethnicity as nothing more than an extension of Marx's view that the world was comprised of the wealthy (oppressor class) and everyone else (the oppressed class). Such labels support resorting to violence in order to achieve "equity", however one achieves that goal.

MLK said it best. When a society focuses on each individual as individual and judges them based on their individual character, then we will have achieved a place, where using your words that "everyone, regardless of race, can live with dignity, respect, and peace."

Racism by definition is based on group identity. You can't end racism, especially systemic racism if you allow for the "confirmation of group identity" in the political policies and laws of the state, even if your intent is well meaning.

So, how we "fight" racism. First, resorting to violence no matter how righteous or virtuous one believes their cause is promotes hate, not reconciliation. On the other hand, the vast majority of people want individual freedom and are happier under it. Therefore, pushing for both the passing of anti-discrimination laws and the enforcement of those laws are the key to ending identity group violence. Secondly, teaching in schools the core value of "tolerance" and the supporting societal integration in order to make group identity more difficult are essential activities of the state. I strongly support added sentencing to violent crimes in which "hate" was an element of that crime.

But when I watched Palestinian students at Columbia attack Jewish students and the media justify those actions based on the Middle East, I wondered whether or not the media "condemned" violence or not. Is violence justified depending on "the target". If it is, then everyone becomes "fair game".

My family including my wife, children and grandchildren include members of four different races out of 17 distinct individuals. When we get together there is no racial hatred, we are one family. We know each other as individuals. But that is not how our society is operating or even what our society and politicians are promoting.

Let's start with the source of the problem. To many people especially politicians' profit from group identity. Listening to our politicians promise various identity groups special policies to address their concerns, while sounding "noble and virtuous" are in fact reinforcing division.

Wouldn't it be far better if politicians could all agree that the goal of government should be to provide all children access to a good education (you can't force children to learn, but you provide access).

The goal of that education will be to focus on skills to succeed in life and promote equal human rights for everyone and tolerance of differences. No more victim ideology in the schools.

Second, politicians should commit to deal with any and every attempt by society to discriminate against any individuals or manage "identity group" outcomes.

Thirdly, you can't stop people from "hating". As Taylor Swift said in her song, "haters are going to hate". But you can assign severe penalties to exercising that hate in public. However, unless the public sees that exercise applied uniformly including when applied to those whose values and beliefs are different, any plea to make society better is virtue signaling.

When Africans people condemn someone for rioting based perceived racial injustices. When white people condemn whites for violence undertaken redress grievances, when Muslims condemn all acts of violence by fellow Muslims. In simple terms, until people see the crimes of people who like them as serious as the crimes of others, we are lying about how we want our society to operate.

In America, I think "woke" thinking has polluted our country, we need to return to our core values of human and civil rights for everyone and a society that rewards merit over identity group membership.