Time to Stop Treating Violence with Kid Gloves
Americans are fed up with the violent protests and hateful acts against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") agents in major cities and the cowardly response and tacit support of liberal Democrats.
Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon was right on target when he criticized the United Nations and international community for decades of inaction and "weakness" against Iran, accusing them of abandoning their responsibility to "confront evil."
The same criticism of abandoning responsibility to "confront evil" applies to Democrats who continue to "side with illegal immigrants over Americans and stoke hatred against law enforcement," and attack ICE agents for doing their jobs of removing illegal immigrant killers, rapists, and drug dealers from our streets.
Rather than blame protesters for throwing rocks and bottles at police, burning cars, blocking major highways, and looting stores — they chose to attack President Trump for the violence because he sent in the National Guard and U.S. Marines to assure law and order and protect federal property and personnel.
The best examples are the liberal Democratic mayors of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, and Chicago, Brandon Johnson — in this writer’s opinion among two of the worst mayors in the nation!
They were joined in their attacks that villainized and demonized ICE by Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. — who threatened to expose the identities of ICE agents — his predecessor, former House Majority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu.
Democrats’ failure to criticize violent protesters in Los Angeles and other cities contradicted their condemnation of violent protesters who stormed the Congress on Jan. 6, 2021.
They and their legacy media allies believe it's fine to criticize violent demonstrators as villains if they are Trump supporters, but not so when they share their anti-Trump views.
Just as insulting as blaming President Trump for the violence was the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finding that it took the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) two hours to respond to assist outnumbered ICE agents despite multiple calls for assistance.
What would the reaction be if an LAPD officer called for help and nearby ICE agents took two hours to respond?
Rightful outrage.
Unfortunately, some Democrats tried to exploit the situation for their political benefit.
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., attempted to crash Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference.
He had to be forcibly removed.
Not to be outdone was New York City comptroller and a Democratic candidate for mayor Brad Lander, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting law enforcement officers and impeding a federal officer at a Manhattan immigration court.
Two Democratic governors also jumped on the anti-ICE/Trump bandwagon — California’s Gavin Newsom and former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate from Minnesota Tim Walz.
Newsom, who did little, if anything, to quell the riots in Los Angeles, condemned Trump for deploying the military and tried unsuccessfully to block his actions in court.
Walz went as far as to compare ICE agents to a "modern-day Gestapo."
His and other Democrat’s hateful rhetoric chickens finally came home to roost, resulting in political violence in his state with deadly force when former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed.
A second state lawmaker, Sen. John Hoffman, and his wife were shot multiple times.
Will Walz or Democrats take any responsibility for the fact that his hateful "Gestapo" and similar vitriolic rhetoric of Democrats could have contributed to the violent environment that led to these tragedies in his home state?
Don’t hold your breath!
The question is, where do we go from here?
The path out of the otherwise darkness of Democrats' vilification of ICE and coddling of violent anti-ICE protesters is clear.
Look no further than the actions of Republican Governors Greg Abbott of Texas, Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Brevard County Florida Sheriff Wayne Ivey.
Abbott deployed the Texas National Guard and state police to assist local law enforcement.
DeSantis said, "If . . . a mob . . . surrounds your vehicle and threatens you, you have a right to flee for your safety . . . if you hit one of these people, that’s their fault for impinging on you."
Sheriff Ivey was even more blunt, telling violent protesters, "If you throw a brick, a fire bomb, or point a gun at one of our deputies . . . we will kill you graveyard dead. We’re not gonna play."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier added, "We are not California. We do not allow rioting in the state of Florida."
What refreshing messages — no coddling!
The nation has not heard such forceful warnings to left-wing anarchist protesters since 1968 when Democratic Chicago Mayor Richard Daly ordered police to shoot arsonists and looters.
If God forbid, there are terrorist attacks in our country because of the president’s bold attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, let’s see how many Democrats in Congress and protesters will blame Trump and ICE — not the terrorists.
Don’t be surprised.
Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations and training consulting firm in Florida. He is the author of "How Obama Failed Black America and How Trump Is Helping It." Read Clarence V. McKee's Reports — More Here.
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