In this great young nation of just over 240 years in age, protest has been welcome since the very beginning of our mostly triumphant history. Like most countries of the world, we have times and events in our history that we should be ashamed of. One of these events was our treatment of Native Americans who still suffer from the misdeeds and bad behavior of our government. Another event was ownership of other human beings called slavery that went on for too long. The slavery issue was heavily blamed for the Civil War of the 1860’s that took the lives of at least 620,000 men and women, most of whom were in their prime of life.
Other protests have taken the form of strikes, picketing, sit-ins and other acts of protest by union members when their organizations sought higher wages, safer working conditions and/or increased benefits such as retirement and healthcare. Some of these union protests turned violent.
We all should remember the racial stresses of the 1950’s and ‘60’s when President Eisenhower ordered troops to Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in September 1957. Martin Luther King, Jr. who had spent much of his life seeking peace and serenity was shot and killed on April 4, 1968; reports indicate that riots erupted in 130 cities across the nation. Protests and violence erupted during and after the Vietnam War.
Now in 2017, the conflict of political alliances has risen to be a vast and lasting scar on our nation’s honor. There are detractors who retain a sense of unlawful, unethical or scandalous seating of Donald Trump as President. Subjects arise that although he won the legal vote of the Electoral College, he lost the popular vote. Others cite some vicarious connection between Trump and Russian President Putin.
Upon hearing that Trump won the election some have submitted to therapies requiring dogs and presumably other animals, music and even aromas to sate their shock when Mrs. Clinton came in second on November 8th.
On inauguration Day, 2017, more than 200 people of whom 90 appeared to be anarchists were arrested in Washington, D.C. An anarchist is one who is willing to commit vandalism and other acts of lawlessness that creates havoc. The cause these anarchists protested is the inauguration of a person whose name they hate. In most cases they probably know only rumors about Mr. Trump that have been spread by word of mouth and on TV and radio and written word in various formal and random flyers, handouts and junk mailings.
A few days after the inauguration there were women’s marches throughout the world. These marchers all had different reasons for marching and most were present not for factual reasons but for fear of their perceived future. Terrible violence and damage broke out in Berkeley, CA on February 1st objecting to a speech by a conservative speaker; campus damage was reported to be more than $100,000. George Soros’ Tides Foundation reportedly provided $50,000 for the violence. A conservative comedian and actor scheduled to make a presentation on the NYU campus was cancelled when fights and rioting arose objecting to his appearance.
The message seems to be clear. Left-leaning liberals aka known as ‘progressives’ cannot accept the legitimate defeat of a liberal candidate and will do everything possible to shut off free (conservative) speech. The liberal choice appears to be, ‘politics our way or anarchy.’
Riots in Detroit, Los Angeles, Baltimore and other cities have cost taxpayers billions perhaps trillions of dollars over the past 50-plus years. Yet poverty remains, our public education system is broken, we are deeply in debt, our people are divided by a host of issues, we are no longer a sovereign nation, and federal government is overstaffed by 20%. President Trump is trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again for compensation of $1 per year.
Liberals, Progressives, Democrats, don’t be mad at Mr. Trump; use common sense and determine why so many thoughtful U.S. citizens voted for him. While you are trying to rebuild your party, Mr. Trump and his administration will try to rebuild our nation. “United we stand, divided we fall.” – Aesop (620-564 BCE)
Dick Baynton
