THE GRETCHEN WHITMER BLAME GAME

 THE GRETCHEN WHITMER BLAME GAME

The FBI has accused Michigan militia members of plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The kidnapping was to be part of a wider plan to overthrow several state governments believed by militia members to be violating the Constitution, according to the FBI.

Whitmer, her fellow Democrats, and their media allies are blaming President Trump for inciting the militia lunatics. Whitmer repeated the falsehood that Trump has refused to condemn white supremacists. Others cited Trump’s criticism of Whitmer’s insanely stringent shutdown of Michigan’s economy, including a tweet that said “liberate Michigan.”

“Words have consequences” is the mantra of those trying to score political points off of the militiamen escapade.

Words do have consequences. But using this truism to condemn unintended consequences of words is a dangerous game — one that threatens freedom of speech and facilitates tyranny.

Whitmer’s words, blaming Trump for a kidnapping plot against her, might have bad consequences. They might incite a lunatic to retaliate by trying to kill Trump or a member of his family. Recall the attempt by a left-wing Bernie Sanders supporter to assassinate more than a dozen GOP House members at a baseball practice.

In fact, four years of left-wing rhetoric have created the possibility of violence against Republican leaders. A person stupid enough to believe the left’s claim that Trump is owned by the Russians might also be crazy enough to plot to kill him.

As far as we know, that hasn’t happened. But the left’s demonization of America’s police has resulted in the killing of police officers.

The left is far more prone to blame the right for violence by lunatics than vice versa. However, it’s a game both sides play.

Both sides should stop playing it. In America, people should be free to denounce their president, their governor, and their police forces in the strongest terms without being blamed for violence against these parties that they don’t advocate.

And by the way, Brandon Caserta, a central figure in the plot against Whitmer, is an anti-Trump anarchist. He has called the president a tyrant. Clearly, Trump could not have incited Caserta to do anything.

But it doesn’t matter what Caserta thinks about the president. Trump did not advocate violence against Whitmer and therefore is not responsible for attempted violence against her.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/10/the-gretchen-whitmer-blame-game.php