We lived them.  But now violence is erupting again in Minneapolis and many other cities across the country.

During the Ferguson riots, if we walked out of our front door, we could smell the teargas.  Hearing gunshots – that was a regular occurrence.  A crowd in our front yard?  Check.  Police helicopters overhead?  Check!  Bugging out once because of danger to our family and another time because of planned protests?  Check and Check again!

Guys, it was not fun.  It was scary "as all get out."  My littlest guy who was 3 at the time stopped sleeping in his own bed.  My older kids wouldn't leave the house.  This was real.

If you are living near the location of the riots, what should you be doing now?

For those of you who live near the location of the Minneapolis riots or any of the other locations of civil unrest across the country, my heart breaks for you.  I've lived it first-hand.  The riots burned down my Wal-Mart, Sams, Little Caesars, Walgreens, and Shop and Save.  Most of these were less than a mile from my house.  Some were less than 1/4 mile.