January 26, 2021

I was going to write an article today about how the trade policies implemented by the previous administration have resulted in long term damage to the American economy and world standing while providing a huge opportunity for China to take the lead on the world economic stage.  However, since the articles of impeachment have been delivered by the House of Representatives to the Senate and we are on the eve of yet another impeachment trial for Trump, I decided to switch gears a little based upon a letter to the editor that was published in the Bozeman Chronicle today.

This letter tries to make the argument that the protests arising from the Black Lives Matter protests after the George Floyd murder are equivalent to the insurrection that took place at the Capitol on January 6^th.  This individual makes the statement,” In the past four years, a majority of Americans has been called Nazis, racists, and more. Their evils, its argued, have established systemic biases and resulted in privilege that obstructs everyone else.  They say these proclivities are not resident in a few people, but intrinsic to all.  The only fix is to reeducate this aristocracy using intimidation, censorship, punishment and laws, and remake America to achieve social justice.”

First of all, it is certainly not true that a ‘majority’ of Americans have been called Nazis, racists, etc.  There are certainly some subsets of the population that fit those descriptions but certainly not a majority.  Secondly, there is no shortage of evidence that systemic racism is a reality in this country.  That’s why laws against ‘red lining’ were passed in the mortgage banking industry. There are numerous studies showing inequalities in the health care industries based upon race.  The fact is, systemic racism does exist, and putting one’s head in the sand and pretending that everything is all hunky dory will not solve the problem.

The letter goes on to say, “In recent months, social justice warriors have attacked, looted, and burned government buildings, monuments, private businesses and homes. They’ve done it, they say, because their complaints aren’t being heard.  Most of their crimes haven’t been stopped, apparently because their virtue signaling supporters believe their political ends justify their violent and illegal means.”

It is certainly true that there was some violence that arose out of the BLM protests and that can never be condoned or justified.  However, given the widespread protests across the nation (even some here in Bozeman), the amount of violence was pretty small.  Even in volatile places like Portland, the violent protests were contained to a small area within the city but one would never know that by the way it was covered in the conservative media.  That coverage made it appear like the entire city of Portland was ablaze.  That was simply not true. 

In the concluding paragraph, the letter states, “Now, the hypocritical left is outraged by the actions of Republican supporters, who feel their concerns about the election are not being heard. Perhaps they should remember their actions in Portland, Seattle, Kenosha, and Washington D.C., and remember Confucius’s aphorism: wherever you go, there you are.”

First of all, the statement that ‘who feel their concerns about the election are not being heard’ is patently false.  There were over 60 lawsuits filed in multiple state and Federal courts across the country where the Trump campaign had opportunities to have their concerns heard.  The fact is that all but one of those cases were thrown out of court or withdrawn for lack of evidence.  If that is not an opportunity to ‘have their concerns heard,’ I don’t know what the hell is.  And, just as a reminder, several of the judges who threw those lawsuits out of court or ruled against the Trump campaign were Republican judges appointed by Trump.

In addition, Trump’s own Department of Justice in the person of Attorney General Bill Barr, a Trump supporter, stated that there was no evidence of wide spread voter fraud anywhere.  Election officials, both Republican and Democrat, in all 50 states, certified the election results, sometimes after detailed recounts. 

The Republican ‘supporters’ of Trump who attacked the Capitol with the intent of overturning the results of an election did, in fact, have numerous opportunities to have their concerns heard.  They simply chose to ignore the results of those hearings since because they didn’t like they outcome. 

Trying to draw an equivalency between the BLM protests that are seeking to draw attention to the reality of systemic racism and the Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol with the intent of overturning an election are two completely different things.  Trying to draw this false equivalency by arguing that Republican concerns about the election have not been heard is just a patently false statement.  Multiple opportunities were provided for these concerns about the election to be heard.  They were heard.  They were adjudicated.  They were dismissed for lack of evidence. 

They don’t replay the Superbowl just because some segment of the population doesn’t like the outcome.  It’s time to move forward and stop this nonsense.