Black Lives Matter Plaza will soon be no more.
The toxic, radical, left-wing street graffiti that defaced two blocks of 16th Street NW near the White House will be removed in the coming months. District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser made the decision in response to a congressional proposal that threatened to withhold federal funds unless the mural was removed. It was a brilliant political maneuver to rid the district of such disgraceful left-wing cultural propaganda. However, rather than just removing it, the street section should be immediately renamed — and named after Laken Riley.
After all, Bowser’s decision to remove Black Lives Matter Plaza came during the same week as the first anniversary of the House’s passing of the Laken Riley Act. What better way to commemorate the life of the innocent 22-year-old nursing student who was brutally murdered by an illegal immigrant than to rename the area in her honor? Instead of being named after a corrupt activist organization and dishonest and deceitful sociopolitical movement, it would be named after a woman who wanted to devote her life to helping others.
There are many possibilities, including “Laken Riley Boulevard,” “Laken Riley Avenue,” or “Laken Riley Place.” All of these would be much more suitable than “Black Lives Matter Plaza.” BLM caused chaos and destruction, instigating divisiveness throughout the nation. It is an organization predicated on promoting dishonest narratives, usually accompanied by hypersensationalized claims of racism. Riley wanted to save lives and help others, whereas BLM and its acolytes facilitated violence with riots around the country while gaslighting an entire nation with dishonest assertions of systemic racism and white supremacy.
Consider the destruction BLM facilitated throughout the nation. During a pandemic, law enforcement officials, first responders, and other emergency personnel were forced to divert depleted resources to protect protesters and demonstrators. Rioters linked to the movement assaulted innocent people, shot elderly police officers, destroyed communities, looted stores, stole merchandise, and were given free rein to break laws and violate safety protocols meant to prevent the spread of a deadly virus due to the coddling nature and a misguided allegiance to social justice.
Furthermore, while Riley was going to school to learn how to help save lives, the BLM rioters caused billions of dollars in damage and injured over 2,000 police officers, and over 20 people were reportedly killed. Also, rioters tried to burn down multiple police precincts throughout the country with officers still inside.
Laken Riley is worth remembering. BLM, on the other hand, deserves to be banished into the ash heap of history.
DOGE NEEDS A SCALPEL, NOT AN AX
The first anniversary of the House passing the Laken Riley Act was on March 7. It was legislation that came in response to a gruesome tragedy that highlighted the incompetencies and failures of the Biden administration on border security. As Black Lives Matter Plaza enters its last days of existence, Republicans should introduce legislation to rename it after the innocent college-aged woman who was murdered because of the horrible immigration policies championed by former President Joe Biden and Democrats.
The stretch of street should be named after someone with heroic qualities, not something with villainous ones.