There’s nothing newsworthy about hypocrisy in politics. It’s so common that I usually ignore it. However, the blatant hypocrisy over the recent unacceptable violence in DC is dangerous – it’s tearing our country apart – and it has to stop.
Liberals say the violence was all Trump’s fault. They’ve even decided to make a last-ditch effort at impeachment – even though it will likely come to nothing. But using the same argument, Congress needs to impeach their Democrat leadership as well.
Only a few media outlets have pointing out that the leftist politicians who either said nothing or, in some cases, even supported the left-wing violence so prevalent this past year, were encouraged this type of violence in the future. As Momma used to say, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” What many forget is that she also implied that what is bad for the goose is also bad for the gander.
All summer, rioters attacked federal buildings, destroyed private businesses, turned downtowns into war zones, and injured police, while liberal politicians and media turned a blind eye. Are we really that surprised when young protesters on the right think it’s OK to try the same thing.
The truth is that violent protests have no place in a free and fair democracy. The demonstrators in DC were just as wrong as the demonstrators over the summer who turned to violence supposedly to make a political point.
One talking head on TV reported with glee how the FBI would use the government’s full power to track down the violent DC demonstrators. This is as it should be. But where was the outrage last summer as our cities burned?
Does any thinking person believe that if ANTIFA had entered the Capital Building and had one of their unarmed members shot by police that CNN and the NY Times would not have made that their front-page story for weeks? (And probably ignored the slain officer killed for just doing his job).
Yet, there were only two differences between the riots last summer and the DC riots. First, of course, was the location. The DC rioters attacked where the politicians work. You know, those same politicians who didn’t care when similar riots destroyed the businesses and property of ordinary folks. Now, however, heads must roll.
But even more importantly, these protestors made the mistake of declaring themselves Trump supporters – enough reason in itself to throw them in jail for many on the left.
The solution to this inexcusable violence on both sides of the political spectrum is simple but not easy. Politicians, the left and the right, need to treat violent protests with an equal amount of outrage. And the media needs to report on violence outside of DC just as aggressively as it has in DC.
If this doesn’t happen, the problem will only get worse.
Contrary to what some liberals seem to believe, the half of Americans that voted for conservative representatives this past election are not stupid. The blatant hypocrisy manifest over the DC riots will only pull our country further apart, and I am optimistic enough to still believe that that is not what the majority on the left want.
The Founders Tavern 