It’s downright impossible not to watch the last two nights of nationwide protest, rioting, and looting and not feel an overburdened sense of dread. The United States, what President Ronald Reagan once likened to a “shining city on a hill,” is looking more and more like a tiny village at the base of the mountain after a mudslide.

If this strikes as hyperbole to some, turn on the television, scroll through the internet, and scan the stories and pictures of the last few nights of unrest. Major cities have been reduced to utter anarchy as police departments try to use whatever resources they have to deter rioters from doing any further damage to public and private property. The unjustified death of George Floyd has lit a match for a good chunk of the population who are either frustrated with their lives, angry about the criminal justice system, or who otherwise feel disenfranchised. It feels more and more like a grassroots revolt is sweeping the country, where the masses are taking aim at anybody who can be considered part of the establishment — from police and fire departments to banks, journalists, politicians, and even small-business owners.