I had to think long and hard about this one, because it struck me as such a 'this is where we are' moment that I had to make sure my initial reaction was how I really felt.
And it is.
We've seen far too many pro-Hamas/BLM/Antifa protesters blocking roadways. And not just random roads: major thoroughfares like the Golden Gate Bridge and the road to O'Hare Airport. It is not meant to persuade people to their cause: it is meant to bully, intimidate, and harass.
It's a coordinated effort with Left-wing dark money groups, and one that is breaking local and, possibly, federal laws.
So to see Senator Tom Cotton tell Americans to take matters into our own hands is just jarring.
I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands to get them out of the way.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) April 16, 2024
It's time to put an end to this nonsense.
It is time to put an end to this nonsense, Senator. You are absolutely correct. In fact, it is long overdue. This has been going on for two decades with no consequence. It should've been shut down 20 years ago.
There are, however, two major problems with your line of reasoning.
First: it's not our job. It's YOURS. You are a legislator. Enacting and enforcing laws that maintain the civil order is literally your job. It is not our responsibility to remove illegal protesters from the road.
And I say this as someone who served a rather lengthy suspension on Twitter/X for saying she'd drive through protesters if she felt her life (or the life of my children) was in danger. I applaud when video shows fed up people dragging the protesters off the roadway so traffic can pass.
It should never, ever come to that.
Monday was tax day. A lot of Americans paid a lot of money to the government.
Why are we paying taxes to people like Tom Cotton, only to have them turn around and tell us to take this legal matter into our own hands?
What is the purpose of government if not to prevent roving mobs from shutting down roadways? Government is meant to maintain civil order and government -- of which Tom Cotton is a part -- is failing to do its job.
Blocking the road is not a peaceful protest. You do not have a right to shut down roads. Period. It certainly violates local, state, and federal laws.
ENFORCE THE LAWS. And if there are no laws at the federal level, enact them.
Make it a federal offense to block the roads, one punishable by hefty fines and lengthy prison sentences.
If I make a scene on an airplane or in an airport, I'd be taken out in handcuffs and face federal charges. When I fly -- and I fly frequently -- I'm molested by the TSA for my safety, while they confiscate the four-ounce sealed bottle of fluids I had in my bag.
You're going to sit there and tell me this is a necessary part of living in a civil, safe society while you let mobs block the roads outside the airport?
If not buying Obamacare violates the federal commerce clause, we can certainly make the argument that blocking the roads -- especially near airports -- also does. A lot of federal money goes into local budgets -- schools, roads, etc. -- and the feds use that as justification to micromanage local municipalities and schools.
Threaten to withhold federal funding from any municipality that doesn't shut down these 'protests' and doesn't charge those involved.
The second problem with your line of reasoning: are you paying attention, Senator?
And does the name Daniel Penny mean anything to you? If it doesn’t, he’s the guy in NYC who restrained a man on the subway. A man who was harassing and threatening fellow passengers. The man died, and Penny is facing charges. For doing what the government failed to do.
We've seen the radical lawfare the Left is willing to engage in. Criminals can run rampant -- steal, assault, harass you -- and left-wing prosecutors shrug and set them loose without bail and with minimal (or no) charges to commit more murder and mayhem.
Meanwhile, otherwise law-abiding citizens who defend their property, their safety, or the safety of others see the book thrown at them. Those same prosecutors who demand 'criminal justice reform' have no problem coming down like a ton of bricks on the average citizen who stands up to the thugs and criminals.
What do you think they'd do to motorists who remove pro-Hamas, BLM, or Antifa protesters from the road?
They'd throw them in prison. For a very, very long time.
When someone takes your advice in a blue state and gets arrested and charged with felony crimes, will you pay for their legal defense?
— Peter Henlein (@SwissWatchGuy) April 16, 2024
You are a senator. Use your power as one to pressure states and localities to fix their policies.
Would you pay for their legal defense, Senator?
I'm going to hazard a guess you won't.
And you know how I know I'm right? The Left is pointing to this tweet as proof Cotton is advocating violence against 'peaceful' protesters. I want to make it clear -- it's not. But that hasn't stopped the Left from saying it does. The media will run with that narrative.
They are absolutely itching for another January 6, another 'insurrection' they can point to and say 'See?! Right-wingers are the domestic terrorists we've accused them of being this entire time!'
The good Senator should know better.
And instead of telling American taxpayers to take matters into their own hands, he should do his job.
