The new Republican-controlled House should investigate the 2020 summer riots
Christopher Tremoglie
Jan. 6 is in the news a lot and portrayed as an unforgivable act that must never occur again. Many people, including left-wing politicians, pundits, and even social media users, repeatedly condemn the attacks even almost two years later. And all of it is true. The Capitol riot was an abhorrent event. Yet, I noticed a recurring pattern that while many bemoan the destruction of Jan. 6, these same people ignore the Black Lives Matter and antifa riots from 2020. And, not only are these rioters ignored, they are even celebrated, such as in Washington D.C., where they painted a street with a BLM mural. It’s a disgusting double standard and something that must immediately change.
IT’S TIME FOR WASHINGTON TO REMOVE THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL
When the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives in January, they will have many things on their agenda. However, one of the most important should be launching an investigation into the riots of the summer of 2020. Records show that in 2020, there were 570 violent riots. Much of this violence stemmed from Democratic demagogues advancing the repeatedly debunked narrative that black people were being hunted and killed by the country’s police officers. Despite this inflammatory rhetoric leading to violence and the Left claiming rhetoric and political violence threaten our democracy, not one Democrat was ever investigated. That should change in January 2023.
Democrats established a precedent that political violence is wrong. Law and order must prevail regardless of one’s political beliefs or affiliations. Rioters should never attack any federal building, and anyone who does must be held accountable. But this must work both ways. So far, it hasn’t.
Politicians who inspired riots where people looted and burned down stores, destroyed minority communities, murdered retired black police captains, tried to burn down police precincts with officers still inside, and regularly assaulted people must also be held accountable. They encouraged people to do whatever they wanted, harm whomever they wanted, and destroy whatever they wanted, just so long as the people doing so said it was retaliation for an infringement of one’s rights.
It was the Left that glorified rioting in this country. For all the emphasis Democrats and the Jan. 6 committee put on former President Donald Trump for not discouraging the Capitol riot, neither did any Democrat in 2020. Furthermore, none of them provided any widespread criticism or condemnation. These rioters were seen as freedom fighters fighting for a noble cause. But by enabling such behavior, Democrats provoked rioting to continue. They effectively said that if a group felt their rights were being violated, political violence would be the best way to stop that.
All rioting is terrible, yet the Left doesn’t seem to believe that. They looked the other way as groups ravaged the country’s cities for months in 2020. The same outrage and vigorous condemnation they exhibited toward the Capitol rioters was missing for BLM and antifa in 2020. This is especially troubling given that the 2020 riots were more damaging and destructive than the one Capitol riot.
Yet, Democrats failed to hold themselves to the same standards as they did for those allegedly involved with Jan. 6.
Now, Republicans must show Democrats there are consequences for their actions. They must finally bring some accountability and show that all rioting will not be tolerated, not just those with which Democrats sympathize.
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