In the seven weeks since a multiracial group of Minnesota cops killed George Floyd, we’ve been having a much-needed conversation about race in America. And by “conversation,” I mean lots of people are destroying things they don’t like and then branding anybody who doesn’t like it a racist. Thanks to social media and the 24-hour news cycle, stupidity can spread across the globe faster than any virus, so now we’ve already got mainstream journalists and other Democrats seriously talking about taking down Mount Rushmore and the Jefferson Memorial, and getting rid of “problematic” books. The saying used to be, “Every society is only nine meals away from chaos.” Now it’s nine tweets.
Everywhere you look, there’s a very illiberal liberal condoning the riots and looting we’re seeing. They openly applaud the vandalism and destruction of historical monuments, whether they’re relics of the Confederacy or not. Our moral, ethical, and intellectual betters think it’s fine. Destroying something they don’t like is justified, because they don’t like it. To them, nothing is sacred.
Well… almost nothing. Doha Madani, NBC News:
Police are looking to identify a white man and white woman who vandalized a city-approved Black Lives Matter mural in Martinez, California, on the Fourth of July.
The woman was caught on video by onlookers as she painted over the words “Black Lives Matter” on the street in front of the Contra Costa County courthouse while the man appeared to film her on his phone. Authorities are asking the public to identify the couple so they may be “held accountable for their actions,” Martinez Police Chief Manjit Sappal said in a Sunday press release.
“The community spent a considerable amount of time putting the mural together only to have it painted over in a hateful and senseless manner,” the release said. “The City of Martinez values tolerance and the damage to the mural was divisive and hurtful.”
Wow, that sounds really bad, doesn’t it? Witness this frightening act of terrorism for yourself:
Finally, the media has found an act of vandalism they won’t applaud.
To someone with principles, however, this might be a bit confusing. For almost two months now, we’ve been told this sort of vandalism is justified. When protesters rioters scrawl “ALL COPS ARE BASTARDS” all over a city courthouse, that’s just an expression of their outrage about police brutality. When protesters rioters topple a statue of Christopher Columbus, that’s a necessary part of the uprising against colonialism and white supremacy. When protesters rioters try to burn down St. John’s Church, right next to the White House, well… Orange Man Bad. It’s okay to commit crimes, as long as you hate the people and things your comrades in the media want you to hate.
But painting over a Black Lives Matter mural on a city street? That’s a crime against humanity. That gets NBC News on your case.
Look, man, I don’t like any of this stuff. Destroying property, private or public, solves nothing. No matter what you’re vandalizing, no matter what your reasons are, you’re only hurting your own cause. But the double standard is too glaring to ignore. If you spend months telling me vandalism is good, I don’t really care if you’re suddenly outraged by this act of vandalism.
You can’t steer a riot. If you condone this kind of behavior, you’ll see more of it, and you won’t be able to control it. If you tell people it’s okay to destroy property, sooner or later they’ll get around to destroying something you cherish.
It’s not nearly as much fun when it’s your turn, is it?
