It’s been that way for decades. Ever since the riotous 1960s, the progressive, anti-establishment, anarchic Left has excused itself from the rules of civil society when they are upset about something.
Today, Left-wing violence is on the upswing thanks in large part to a group called Antifa — a bunch of masked thugs who have chosen to characterize POTUS Donald Trump and his supporters as fascist, racist xenophobes despite the fact that they’re not, and then use those mischaracterizations as justification to attack them.
In other words, they accuse Trump supporters of being fascists, then use fascist tactics (violence) to attempt to suppress them. It’s classic revolutionary behavior: Accuse your opponent of your behavior.
One congressman has had enough: Rep. Dan Donovan, R-N.Y., has introduced legislation called the “Unmasking Antifa Act of 2018,” and it seeks to build upon 19th-and-20th-century laws making it illegal for anyone to violently protest wearing masks.
“My bill expands upon long-standing civil rights statutes to make it a crime to deprive someone of Constitutionally-guaranteed protections while masked or disguised,” Donovan said in a statement to Vice. “Americans have the natural right to speak and protest freely; it is not a right to throw Molotov cocktails and beat people while hiding behind a mask.”
Republican Reps. Peter King of New York, Paul Gosar of Arizona, and Ted Budd of North Carolina have also signed onto the legislation, which would make it a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison to demonstrate violently in public wearing a mask.
In the 1840s, New York state passed legislation making it illegal to congregate in a public place wearing a mask or having “unusual or unnatural attire or facial alteration” during protests. Exceptions are made for Halloween and other functions. The law was passed in 1845 after tenant farmers, angry over a lowering of wheat prices, dressed as Native Americans and covered their faces with masks to attack local law enforcement personnel. They tarred and feathered people and even murdered a sheriff.
The Left is responsible for all of this violence, not Trump
This law needs to be enacted. No matter what Antifa members say they are and are not, the group was designated a domestic terrorist threat during the — wait for it — Obama administration.
That’s right. As The National Sentinel noted in September 2017, federal officials with the FBI and Department of Homeland Security were warning state and local officials beginning in early 2016 — when Trump’s campaign began to gain traction and support — that Antifa thugs had become so violent DHS designated their activities “domestic terrorist violence.” (Related: More media lies and distortions in reporting on Portland clash between Patriot Prayer members and Antifa agitators.)
The First Amendment recognizes some basic human rights: That citizens should be able to speak freely without fear of persecution; that they should be able to assemble peaceably to express themselves; and redress government. The word “peaceably” is actually in the First Amendment.
There is no right to demonstrate violently or to attack and otherwise shut down another person with whom you disagree.
There’s another reason why this law is necessary. The narrative on the Left is that Trump somehow spurred all of this violence. That’s baloney.
Tens of millions of Americans were angry and frustrated at Barack Obama and his policies, but you didn’t see conservatives mobbing his supporters and attacking them.
Violence is not “spurred” by anyone who isn’t actually committing violence. It’s a conscious decision. That point needs to be made repeatedly when Trump and his supporters are blamed for being attacked.
Read more about Antifa violence at AntifaWatch.news.
J.D. Heyes is also editor-in-chief of The National Sentinel.
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