What a difference two weeks can make.

Back in my May 18 column, COVID-19 and Gov. Jared Polis were top of mind.  The disputed protests were peaceful gatherings of small-business owners pushed aside by out-of-touch politicians, and everyday citizens concerned about losing their jobs and their liberty.

Now, coronavirus seems like a thing of the past.  All eyes, ears and passions have turned to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis – killed at the knee of a police officer, aided and abetted by three colleagues who watched him extinguish life from an unarmed black man.  Attention is focused on the peaceful protests and the violent riots that erupted nationwide, including in Denver.

I’ve interviewed law enforcement and military veterans and spoken with many others who agree with me that Floyd’s killing was gruesome, and his killer must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.  Indeed, we briefly had a unified nation – unified in a way we’ve not seen before following the death of an unarmed black man by a renegade police officer.

Maybe it’s because we all saw the video and see there’s no excuse for what Officer Derek Chauvin did.  Maybe it’s because we all recognized how senseless it was.  No matter the reason, many viewed this situation differently from past circumstances – offering an unprecedented chance for #BlackLivesMatter activists to express their message to an audience that finally had open ears.

The Minneapolis Police Department has a history of racial problems.  Chauvin reportedly had repeat disciplinary issues that never were addressed.  He should have been fired long ago.

This isn’t unique to Minneapolis.  Similar issues dog police departments across the country and in Colorado.  I’m not sure what the “real solutions” are, but I’m here to listen and to engage.

Tragically, the unique opportunity for activists to effect meaningful change has been torn asunder by opportunists, extremists, thieves and destroyers.  The violence following Floyd’s death has drowned out the atrocity against him – so much so that Floyd and the officers have been relegated to a footnote in the conversation.

Rioters set fire to police stations, post offices, courthouses, banks and businesses.  Terror, blood and tears have gripped the streets.  Hundreds of businesses throughout America, finally able to start reopening after months of lockdowns, have been decimated or outright destroyed.  What are the tweets and videos we pass now? How many are of fires and personal assaults instead of anything about George Floyd?

I’ve seen some Coloradans defend the riots with a false dichotomy. Property, they argue, is less important than life.  Shed no tears for property destruction.  Buildings can be replaced; lives cannot. 

Yet, what did the business owners in Denver, in Raleigh, North Carolina and in Rochester, New York have to do with a police murder in Minneapolis?  I’m talking about the shattered windows, the stolen property and the elderly woman brutally assaulted while defending her shop?  How about the black federal officer killed by rioters in Oakland, California?

The “lives vs. property” dichotomy is false.  As with COVID-19, livelihoods, mental health and yes, standing police precincts, banks and post offices are central to life.  Even more, the lives of inner-city communities, already beset by societal and economic challenges worsened by COVID-19 and economic shutdowns, have been set back dramatically.

George Floyd’s murder is an atrocity – and there is no excuse for destructive riots.  Both are true. 

What is especially sad is that most of the rioters are Millennials and Gen Z’ers under 30.  At the same time, peaceful protests have largely been led by young people.

One such example was Saturday’s powerful display of solidarity at our State Capitol.  That day, thousands gathered together, lied on the ground and proclaimed, “I can’t breathe!”  They were doing it right.  They made Colorado proud. 

In this spirit, I have a plea for my fellow under-30 Coloradans: Be the change you want to see in the world.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. showed us the way of nonviolence, and his leadership helped bring about remarkable progress.  There is a moment here for the right kind of message – a positive message of love, peace and reformation. 

Reject the violence, rage and riots.  Reject the vandals, looters and destroyers.  Tell them they have no place in real movements for change.

Yes, change is hard.  It takes time.  But some moments offer the opportunity.

This is your moment to lead. Take it.

Jimmy Sengenberger is host of “The Jimmy Sengenberger Show” on News/Talk 710 KNUS.  He also hosts “Jimmy at the Crossroads,” a webshow and podcast in partnership with The Washington Examiner.