Small business owner: The looters who broke into my store weren't protesting Floyd death
My father founded our family pharmacy the year I was born, 1955. Originally, we were located near the White House until we moved to Upper Northwest Washington, D.C., right near the border of Maryland and the capital. We also expanded into groceries.
We've been doing business in this neighborhood for 55 years. Our customers are an international group and we have enjoyed knowing and seeing all our familiar customers, for so many years. We were here even when Washington, D.C., suffered from the 1968 riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. But it wasn't until the current protests and riots that our family business was attacked and looted.
The night of Sunday, May 31, was a nightmare.
It was the third night of protests in the city when someone threw a chair from the patio set outside through our shop window. My son and I found it and we tried to board up the window as best we could but the professional crews were in frantic demand. We had called for help, but so much was going on that we needed to secure the window ourselves. The police were spread very thin, driving up and down our avenue in emergency vehicles.
That night, I left just to get cleaned up and in that time the store was violated again. From our security footage, they seemed to be teenagers who didn't know what they were doing — stealing products like watches and meat hurriedly, even thyroid medication.
I stayed on guard the rest of the night. More looting would have happened if we let it. Throughout the evening hours cars pulled up to the front of our store, eyeballing it and hoping to come in. But our protection was our flashlights. We shined our lights at them, letting them know that we were inside.
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We were able to open on Monday morning and we have stayed open, while obeying the Washington, D.C., curfew. But my family slept at the store for several nights following the attack.
I'm delighted the National Guard is in Washington. Since they arrived the nights have been comparatively calm and serene and thankfully there hasn't been any more trouble.
Our hearts go out for those who have not had a fair shake or who have been treated poorly. That is what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis.
But the people who broke in and looted my store had a completely different agenda than those who were protesting about violence.
Looting is horrible for small businesses. In addition to the economic costs of lost product and destroyed property, you feel so violated. And in my neighborhood everyone has boarded up their businesses. As you drive down the street it reminds me of what the city was like after the assassination of Dr. King. It is easy for me to remember that time. The city took decades to recover. It's a shame.
Thankfully, we have a great crew. They are loyal and hardworking. And we have a nice connection with so many of our customers. They appreciate this country and they work hard. I'm proud to serve them and, despite the damage, grateful I can continue to do so.
Roy Rodman is the owner of Rodman's, a drugstore and international marketplace.
As told to Voices editor Kelsey Bloom, a member of USA TODAY's Editorial Board.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Small business owner: My store was vandalized, looted in D.C. riots
