Do the right thing all over again.

The biggest headline in Oakland California this Thanksgiving completely missed the spirit of the holiday. Last week, twelve young black men dressed in handsome black tuxedos raided several liquor stores armed with baseball bats. Filled with righteous indignation, the young men systematically destroyed each store's stock of liquor, smashing MGD bottles, teeing off on tall boys of Pabst and laying waste to Captain Morgan, Jack Daniels and Jim Beam.

They didn't ask the cashier to open the register, nor did they break a single bone. No, the intent behind their actions was as simple and clear as their words: Quit poisoning our community!

From the SF Chronicle:

Oakland police arrested two men on felony charges of vandalizing two West Oakland corner markets in attacks in which several men in suits and bow ties demanded that the outlets stop selling liquor to African Americans.

The San Pablo store's surveillance camera caught a group of about a dozen men in suits and bow ties trashing the store. The group took a shotgun belonging to a store clerk.

[Deputy Police Chief Howard] Jordan said the suspects were not affiliated with the Nation of Islam, a national organization led by Louis Farrakhan. Police earlier indicated that the suspects were wearing suits and bow ties consistent with Nation of Islam dress.

If you don't know anything about the Nation of Islam, a very brief explanation can be found here, but let me first set the record straight and say that the Nation is a non-violent organization and that the 12 young men, though probably connected to the religion in some way, were acting independently and of their own accord.

There are hundreds of liquor stores in Oakland, thickly settled in the rougher neighborhoods. The Yemenie American Grocers Association represents over 250 liquor stores, including the three attacked. The majority of these stores' customers are the homeless, the poor and the addict-prone, who purchase 35 cent malt beers.

I see little difference between a liquor store that encourages an unhealthy community and an industry that nurtures a crooked society, or a government that pushes a harmful foreign policy.

An Oakland resident myself, I sympathize with these dudez who want to enact positive change on the hood. But I don't subscribe to their methods. In fact, with insurance, the stores they were trying to destroy are guaranteed compensation, and may even receive more money than the goods were worth.

Yah, dood, they burned the Picasso, they trashed my Harley and they stol' 5 fabrige eggs.

This Do the Right Thing type destruction is not an effective method for bringing change to our society. Love for your community, desire to protect your neighbors... these are progressive values. We need to find a way to work with individuals like these who share our goals to help them find real solutions to the problems in their lives.