Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson   (530) 515-2137   Red Bluff Daily News   7/03/2018

                             Tragic deaths, violent leftism

The very sad, very infuriating attack on the Annapolis, Maryland office of the Capital Gazette last Thursday was shocking and abominable. The five dead, plus the injured, had no reason to fear for their lives or wellbeing; the paper is far from being a provocative, incendiary publication poking its journalistic stick at wrongfully-targeted people or groups.

It seems like a vendetta by a violent crank who held a deep grudge over being shown in print to be an abusive, lying person. He even provoked admonishment from a judge who dismissed as frivolous the man’s defamation suit against the Gazette. Absent armed court officers, the 38-year-old Jarrod Ramos would probably have rationalized the same violent retribution for the judge.

It was odd and suspicious that he had physically (painfully?) removed his finger prints, perhaps deluded that he wouldn’t be identified. There appears at this writing to be no political ax to grind, no connection to ideological extremes—either the Trumpian right or the Maxine Waters left. That could change.

Assuming no further disclosures regarding motives, connections or followings, most of the above was evident within a news cycle. Yet, not only Trump-Deranged partisan extremists on the left but also actual members of the “journalism” profession were found peddling hysterical, hateful accusations of causality at President Trump’s feet. “Blood on his hands” was in one unhinged rant over Trump’s choice to call “fake news media” the “enemies.” However, the media/leftist demonization of Trump started 2 years ago.

That provides a segue to the recent violent acts and language coming from the Trump-hating, Democrat left directed at members of the Trump administration, as well as other prominent party officials. Noted lately: Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders hounded and kicked out of a Virginia restaurant; Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen heckled and hounded out of another restaurant; Sen. Leader Mitch McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao, accosted and screamed at outside their home; and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi being harassed, yelled at and insulted until she left a (you can’t make this up) movie on Mr. Rogers, the soft-spoken, genial lord of his warm, polite “Neighborhood.” Democrat war on women?

To those who scoff that such incivility hardly qualifies as violence, I would point out that rhetoric often is tinged with, and can easily lead to, violence. Physically obstructing, intimidating and forcing the retreat of someone going about their peaceful lives is, in fact, violent. Trespassing for the purpose of property damage, invading the privacy of property owners and shouting—individually or in mass—into a residence, all qualify as violence.

We can go back a year to the attempted mass murder of Republican Congressmen—by a politically motivated Bernie Sanders supporter—at a baseball practice, and the attack on Sen. Rand Paul by a fanatical Democrat neighbor. Recall the violent mobs that attacked Trump supporters simply walking into campaign rallies in Oakland and other venues in 2016; I could go on. Pam Bondi: “It is part of a trend. When you’re violent and cursing and screaming and blocking me from walking into a movie, there’s something wrong.”

Do not accept the revisionism of the opposition to Obamacare, by Tea Party and other constitutional advocates. Their “assembling to petition for redress of grievances” took place at town halls scheduled for constituents to do just that; they expressed their objections to being forced to conform to government mandated health policies, taxes and the (predictable but denied by Obama) loss of their doctors and health plans. The only violence was that inflicted on Tea Party folks by union and leftist thugs on Obama’s side.

Consider, compare and contrast the respective leaders. Obama’s bold lies dwarf Trump’s creative and boastful inaccuracies; Obama’s corruption and scandals make any accusations of Trump’s foibles pale in comparison. To suggestions that Trump encouraged aggression toward foul, offensive sign-waving protesters that snuck into his rallies, I offer the words of quasi-violence and thinly-veiled thuggery by Barack Obama (which continued after he became president, unlike Trump).

Obama: “They bring a knife…we bring a gun.” “I want you to argue with them and get in their faces.” “I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!” “Hit back twice as hard.” “We talk to these folks…so I know whose a** to kick.” Republican victory would mean “hand to hand combat.” “Punish your enemies.” “I’m itching for a fight.”

The Democrat/progressive left has no regard for any laws, policies or institutions when the left’s agenda is denied or obstructed. When they lose a popular vote that pre-election and exit polls predicted they’d win, they claim cheating. When the Electoral College awards the win to a Republican, the winner should be the one with the most popular votes. When the U.S. Senate filibuster is used to deny them their preferred outcome, the filibuster must go. When Republicans take advantage of the now-removed filibuster to advance judges, that’s abuse of power. When the Supreme Court is dominated by right-of-center judges, they say such judges must have term limits.

Consider this: The seat vacated by Anthony Kennedy was, 30 years ago, stolen from Robert Bork (Pres. Reagan’s appointee) when Ted Kennedy and the Democrats so (falsely) sullied and slimed Bork that he lost the vote 58 to 42. Reagan’s 3rd appointee was Kennedy, so Trump is just restoring the seat to its rightful ideology.

Take heart from a great quote from Salena Zito, author of the first-hand report on the Trump campaign and victory, “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.” On the murder of the Gazette’s fine staff: “Journalists working in particular in small newspapers are the truest believers in being your advocate in your community; the pay isn’t good, hours are awful, but they do it because it’s a calling. They are your neighbors, kids coach & sit in the pews with you on Sunday.”