Thoughts on Yesterday  by Tom Reynolds

Yesterday, I heard that the DC protesters had invaded the Capitol Building so I turned on TV.  There were videos of looting, burning, graffiti, people screaming in police officers’ faces, Molotov Cocktails, cars and dumpsters being burned…oh wait…that was a rerun of a Black Lives Matter / Antifa riot from this past summer.  Yesterday was nothing like that although equally inexcusable.

To many of us, the history, values and traditions of the United States are sacred.  It was saddening to see videos of the Capitol Building being treated with such disrespect.  It was especially saddening if it was being done by people who believe strongly in those same values and traditions that the Capitol represents. We can hope that, if there is a real investigation, we will find out that it was outside agitators - whose only purpose was to create the chaos - that sparked this.  We have come to expect – but not excuse - yesterday’s events from the radical left but it should never come from those on the right.

Earlier this week, A pro-Second Amendment Congresswoman was widely criticized in the media for wanting to exercise her right to bear arms in the capitol.  We were told that she didn’t need a handgun for protection because the building was secure.  Yet, thousands of protesters stormed the building and overran security.  Thankfully, she did not need to use her firearm.  These events demonstrate that none of us can be sure we can count on the police as our exclusive means of protection.  

A Congressman commented about the anger and said that, by contrast, House members can disagree but, in the end, they are friends.  He doesn’t understand that his left-wing radical “friends” are trying to destroy the United States Constitution and our 2A rights.  “We the people” obviously take that a lot more personally than some Congressmen do. 

One message the protesters were sending  – that those inside the D.C. beltway need to understand - is that the left can’t keep pushing and pushing and expect there will never be a reaction.  If they would start to understand that and react accordingly, the tensions would begin to drop.  Yesterday was a warning against unintended consequences.