Many of you have criticized it, but this email struck me as particularly thoughtful and worth repeating, despite its pointed criticism of me. The class issues here are very real.
LOL, this is actually how contagion works. ;-) It's all in the mind, and the body IS the mind in form. Love spreads wherever and whenever it can. Because love IS reality. See substack genius researcher Mike Stone, ViroLIEgy, for information on what contagion is NOT. In other words, all the contagion studies ever done to bolster the myopic and false idea called "germ theory" of disease have failed. Just saying! :-)
Maybe those of us that can help can chip in and help out those that can’t afford but want to participate in this dialogue. I’m game for that. Count me in, do tell us how please.
I came to ask the same! Alex, she made her point beautifully. Thank you for sharing it. In a vacuum I could understand your feelings about Vance, but after your experience with Biden I am a little surprised you would have such reservations about him.
I believe you are the "K" who wrote the response to Alex's JD Vance substack. Many Kudos to you for such a thoughtful, well written response if that is the case!
Went back and read Alex’s piece on Vance; it was obvious there is something about Vance that bothers Alex. There’s a vague innuendo story re a 3rd party who disparages Vance, and a soliloquy re the Civil War / idealism that implies something.
I think Alex is something of a hero, but he has spent most of his life in the New York bubble. He needs to get out more and become more aware of his own predispositions. Nobody’s perfect, I would like for Alex to tell us specifically what he doesn’t like about Vance’s character, record and political positions.
I noticed that too, and wondered if it might be the best friend who transitioned. JD visited him in the hospital after surgery and brought him food and other supplies. Although JD disapproved of the idea of transitioning, he told the friend that he still loved him. That 'friend' has now turned on him.
I agree 100% with your description of Alex as a hero who needs to get out of his own bubble. Given the absolute hell he has gone through with what people have said about him - even people he previously considered friends - I would think he would not be as susceptible to the same kinds of attacks on others.
What would be really great would be if Alex were to interview JD Vance (in person, not via email) and put the transcript on his Substack. Even better, Alex might go on the road to some of the poor, rural communities in Appalacia and the Rust Belt, interview some local folks, and see for himself the devastation wrought by our overlords in DC and on Wall Street.
When I read it I thought “he still can’t get the New York Times completely out of his blood” because igt looked like a NYT editorial. This woman's response is valid.
I couldn't have said this better if I had tried. I did try and totally failed compared to her. She gets why we all feel so strongly about Trump/Vance. Understanding perspective, sometimes, is more important than agreeing with it.
Me too! America has been an set of actionable ideas. But in the financialized, global economy those ideals are worth little to folks who are unable to live them because they have been priced out. They sound like little more than talking points from so called conservative think tanks that generate ideas that are never put into action because the thinkers tend to forget that if you don’t have a good paying job you are more fixated on providing the necessities.
This follow-up post is the reason we support you, Alex. Unreported Truths is a community or “home” where varying viewpoints are respected. You’ve created something representative of the best of American ideas and ideals. Thanks “K” for voicing your perspective!
Posting this letter in a respectful way exhibits the very best of what "open-mindedness" used to mean and should mean. Thank you for giving "K" her voice, too, Alex.
Here's what happened when I subscribed to a Substack newsletter authored by a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. I made a post critical of Kamala Harris and expressed disbelief that anyone could doubt Biden has dementia. I was banned in 180 seconds, perhaps a record.
This cartoonist messed up and showed his real colors.
I said very civil words to someone I had thought a friend about her promoting Harris because she is a woman and black. Same thing, blocked in 180 seconds and received a message accusing me of hate speech.
I saw a video on TikTok yesterday of a man who wore a Biden shirt into a Trump gathering and how everyone treated him with kindness and he was welcomed. Then he wore a Trump shirt into a Biden gathering and was treated with vitriol, had people screaming at him, and fold told to leave. The reaction to a something as simple as a tee shirt among others was astounding.
Would love to see that! Do u have a link? Such a cool experiment. People everywhere should start doing this and posting it on here and X. Test the waters and film it
The list of words hurled at those who express disagreement is growing. They throw them fast and furiously. A different point of view must be squashed. Cannot be allowed to stand. The intolerance is stunning.
The funny thing is that I saw a black woman on some video clip saying quite clearly that she was voting for Harris because she's black. No other reasons or qualification needed.
What we call "ignorance" or "evil" or "darkness" (call "it" what you will) cannot learn. It can only replicate itself. So the censorship "works" and SEEMS powerful but really it's just lightening fast because it is obviously AI or bots or whatever computer system that is set up to replicate the status quo. But the human censors (really, all of us at some degree) also censor when we do NOT want to learn, but simply replicate our own status quo beliefs. Sorry this was wordy, but hopefully my point for what it's worth was made.
Ha! Does a Pulitzer Prize mean anything these days? Remember that The NY Times got a Pulitzer for their fake Russia Hoax reporting. Two years later they had to report that what they wrote wasn't true, but they didn't return their Pulitzer! I no longer respect any of these so-called "prizes".
Sad but an excellent example of the (in)tolerance of so many on the left. The left is groupthink or get out. No free thinkers allowed. Brings me to an excellent lyric phrase, "Free thinking individuals are the rebels of society." The band is Tomorrows Bad Seeds and the song is called Trinity.
Thanks Alex. That was a very thought-provoking response. You have some great readers! Literate Americans are so refreshing. The deliberate Dumbing Down of US citizens is really a root cause of a lot of our problems. So great to read and hear from a thoughtful and literate person!
so true, occasionally I read comments on Yahoo news articles to see what people who read Yahoo news might think. Man oh Man... there are some really odd people out there who get to vote. I am absolutely sure they know only what they see on the nightly news or hear from a friend who watched the nightly news. I told my daughters recently that I knew they would all do amazing things in life, not because they are amazing ( but they are) but because the competition out there is nil !! Critical thinking is a lost art to most.
He didn’t “pile on”. Alex thoughtfully, honestly expressed his misgivings about Vance. He thinks, and I agree that we should all talk about it in good faith knowing we’re all on the same side here. Or should be. I’m from Alex’s part of the world. And I’m not poor or lower income. And I agree whole heartedly whit the lady who responded to Alex. She was eloquent. And I’m a student and admirer or Lincoln and thought of him and the Civil War as soon as I read Vance’s comment about people not fighting for ideas. He’s wrong . But the lady is correct. Food on the table and a roof over your head is primary.
An author I like uses the phrase "practical idealist". I like that as a term. Ideas are hugely powerful (there is nothing more powerful, imo, because reality is created through perception, through the lens of beliefs and ideas and thoughts and assumptions). But a NON practical idealist is....... yikes!!!!!!..... a fanatic. Very dangerous. To me, "democracy" connotates the IDEAL of INVOLVING ALL OF THOSE IN A GIVEN SOCIETY authentically in order to prevent fanaticism, whether that be "from the right or the left" ideologically.
Michael Shellenberger posted a powerful piece yesterday on the Dems sudden and concerted use of the word weird to describe JDVance Weird means strange, non conforming which has historically been the mantra of the left. In fact until very recently the Aden’s were all about celebrating weirdness or nonconformity.He points out that the liberal city of Austin uses the slogan “ keep Austin weird”. Shellenberger( a lifelong Dem himself) explains that the Dems have lost the ability to distinguish between what’s weird and what’s harmful.The problem with them trans movement is that it’s harmful not simply that it’s weird. That sterilizing kids in an effort to “ change their sex” is harmful. Enabling addicts - others with mental “ illness” to camp us3 drugs and die in the sidewalks isn’t just weird it’s harmful. The Dems main Lin of attack on Vance is for his statements in support of people having children. His policies to financially incentivize parents to have children are hugely popular including with Democrats, and this by definition are not weird at all. This is a tremendous insight into the authoritarian attack on Vance. Dems are not emphasizing that they think Republican policies hurt women, children, and the environment (their traditional message) but rather that Republicans are outside the norm.
Really amazing, right???? Well said. Such an important point. "Keep Portland Weird". Now Vance is weird for being.... republican, white, .... whatever. I used to be on the left in Portland many years ago. Wow. So different back then, and yet I can see the roots of this mess back then too, in hindsight.
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
I have met JD Vance twice. Once before he was elected and once after but before he was chosen as VP candidate. I can say nothing to counter the lady's impression of him. I think he is who she says. I think we are all at risk of being taken out of context no matter how sharp we are. For those who are seeking the truth, we ask for further explanation and have a discussion. For those who wish to deceive, they run with the lie or obfuscation and don't care about the truth- they just want their side to win. As I have said elsewhere, it is about fooling the majority of the people all of the time in order to win. That is why they practice message discipline. Word of the day: Weird Who: JD Vance. A few weeks ago: Phrase of the day: Sharp as a tack Who: Joe Biden. It is all propaganda.
Finally, in all I have seen of Kamala Harris and her record, I would vote for the lady who does the impression of her before I would vote for Kamala. At least she is real and funny. Kamala is just a weirdo phony leftist and always has been. She and the Democrats have been deceiving us about Joe Biden for years and now we are supposed to embrace her? Everyone reading this newsletter received as many votes to be the Democratic nominee as she has - zero.
YES YES YES!!!! I lived in Portland during the "summer of love." Every night for a year there were violent, destructive, and even terrifying riots. Millions of dollars in property damage. The downtown was hollowed out as businesses were looted, ransacked and burned. Permits? Restrictions? Arrests? SURELY YOU JEST. During COVID when we were locked in our homes a George Floyd riot was allowed in a public park, closed to the public you know...for Social Justice. Now we have Palestinian supporters looting and burning. Nothing happens to them but if you're a 70 year old woman praying a Rosary, off you go to jail.
The infamous K here also known as Kathy. The uneven and capricious enforcement of our laws is another serious problem that permeates our society. Those in power use every possible lever to prevent messages they disapprove of from being heard, even up to persecuting their opponents. The purpose of freedom of assembly is to allow citizens to join together to demand the government address their grievances. When the government allows those it agrees with free access to the public square and suppresses those they disagree with then the right to freedom of assembly is violated. If a right is abridged to any citizen or group of them, then it no longer exists in my view. The abuse of our laws and courts to control opposing views is a real threat to our democracy. It's one we all need to take very seriously.
Yes! It probably terrifies anyone who would consider protesting in the event the election goes the way of 2020. No one sane would want to be caught dead in such a situation as happened Jan 6 2021 as those folks are still being hunted down and prosecuted for exercising their constitutional right to redress our government for perceived grievances. Yes, there were some bad actors there. But 90% were constitutionally protected and yet they are not. We have seen what happens when the “wrong” side is the side protesting.
Well the Jan 6th riot was a stain on our country. I believe President Trump made a huge mistake in calling people to a rally, and not giving them direction and hope for the future. As I watched that rally on TV, I was sorely disappointed and concerned. I had hoped to hear plans for the future, such as calling for election reform (all paper ballots (no machines, ballots retained for a full year), universal voter ID verification, citizenship verification, barring of drop box use, barring 3rd parties from handling ballots, etc), calls for term limits in all federal elected positions and senior/supervisory administrative positions, calls for those willing to serve to run for office, and a commitment from President Trump to return to office in the next election, and asking for support in that effort.
Instead President Trump sent protesters to the capitol filled with grievance, and some of them misbehaved, and created an explosive situation. I do agree the Justice Department has gone overboard prosecuting many of those protestors/rioters, especially given the free pass given to the BLM and Antifa rioters in 2020 and beyond for far more violent offenses (burning a federal court house, killing security personnel, burning police cars, etc). The law needs to be applied evenly and fairly, and clearly that is not the current state of affairs. That needs to be addressed and fixed, otherwise one of the main ideals of our country's founding no longer applies: Equal Justice Under the Law.
Is there a way I can buy her a subscription?
I think you could gift it to her if you email me…
I will gift another subscription to the next needy writer that is this respectful and well-spoken!
And so will I.
Same here!
Me too!
LOL, this is actually how contagion works. ;-) It's all in the mind, and the body IS the mind in form. Love spreads wherever and whenever it can. Because love IS reality. See substack genius researcher Mike Stone, ViroLIEgy, for information on what contagion is NOT. In other words, all the contagion studies ever done to bolster the myopic and false idea called "germ theory" of disease have failed. Just saying! :-)
I'm in as well!
same
Maybe those of us that can help can chip in and help out those that can’t afford but want to participate in this dialogue. I’m game for that. Count me in, do tell us how please.
Alex - I don’t even think it was critical of you - just a different take on what people are feeling.
I came to ask the same! Alex, she made her point beautifully. Thank you for sharing it. In a vacuum I could understand your feelings about Vance, but after your experience with Biden I am a little surprised you would have such reservations about him.
This is a great comment! I think there’s a way to “gift a subscription” but don’t know if Alex B has that set up
NOW THAT'S AMERICA!
Thank you so very much for the full year subscription. K here, also know as Kathy. :-)
I believe you are the "K" who wrote the response to Alex's JD Vance substack. Many Kudos to you for such a thoughtful, well written response if that is the case!
Hello Trish, yes that is indeed the case and thank you for the kind words.
You said it much better than I ever could have, and expressed my thoughts exactly. Thank You and welcome aboard.
Fantastic idea! I’d love to do the same thing.
Very thoughtful of you.
Me too!
Perfectly said
Went back and read Alex’s piece on Vance; it was obvious there is something about Vance that bothers Alex. There’s a vague innuendo story re a 3rd party who disparages Vance, and a soliloquy re the Civil War / idealism that implies something.
I think Alex is something of a hero, but he has spent most of his life in the New York bubble. He needs to get out more and become more aware of his own predispositions. Nobody’s perfect, I would like for Alex to tell us specifically what he doesn’t like about Vance’s character, record and political positions.
I noticed that too, and wondered if it might be the best friend who transitioned. JD visited him in the hospital after surgery and brought him food and other supplies. Although JD disapproved of the idea of transitioning, he told the friend that he still loved him. That 'friend' has now turned on him.
I agree 100% with your description of Alex as a hero who needs to get out of his own bubble. Given the absolute hell he has gone through with what people have said about him - even people he previously considered friends - I would think he would not be as susceptible to the same kinds of attacks on others.
What would be really great would be if Alex were to interview JD Vance (in person, not via email) and put the transcript on his Substack. Even better, Alex might go on the road to some of the poor, rural communities in Appalacia and the Rust Belt, interview some local folks, and see for himself the devastation wrought by our overlords in DC and on Wall Street.
When I read it I thought “he still can’t get the New York Times completely out of his blood” because igt looked like a NYT editorial. This woman's response is valid.
I couldn't have said this better if I had tried. I did try and totally failed compared to her. She gets why we all feel so strongly about Trump/Vance. Understanding perspective, sometimes, is more important than agreeing with it.
I feel the same way! 🙌👏
Me too! America has been an set of actionable ideas. But in the financialized, global economy those ideals are worth little to folks who are unable to live them because they have been priced out. They sound like little more than talking points from so called conservative think tanks that generate ideas that are never put into action because the thinkers tend to forget that if you don’t have a good paying job you are more fixated on providing the necessities.
Amen!!!!
This follow-up post is the reason we support you, Alex. Unreported Truths is a community or “home” where varying viewpoints are respected. You’ve created something representative of the best of American ideas and ideals. Thanks “K” for voicing your perspective!
100%. His sharing of the reader response converted me to a paid subscriber.
Posting this letter in a respectful way exhibits the very best of what "open-mindedness" used to mean and should mean. Thank you for giving "K" her voice, too, Alex.
Exactly right!
The last lines of the letter say it the best. Who will best defend Alex’s (and my) right to speak and worship? Trump/Vance or Harris/_____?
Here's what happened when I subscribed to a Substack newsletter authored by a Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist and columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle. I made a post critical of Kamala Harris and expressed disbelief that anyone could doubt Biden has dementia. I was banned in 180 seconds, perhaps a record.
This cartoonist messed up and showed his real colors.
https://billricejr.substack.com/p/this-might-be-a-record-i-was-banned
I said very civil words to someone I had thought a friend about her promoting Harris because she is a woman and black. Same thing, blocked in 180 seconds and received a message accusing me of hate speech.
I saw a video on TikTok yesterday of a man who wore a Biden shirt into a Trump gathering and how everyone treated him with kindness and he was welcomed. Then he wore a Trump shirt into a Biden gathering and was treated with vitriol, had people screaming at him, and fold told to leave. The reaction to a something as simple as a tee shirt among others was astounding.
Would love to see that! Do u have a link? Such a cool experiment. People everywhere should start doing this and posting it on here and X. Test the waters and film it
Here you go.
https://x.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1818378835949240644
That was AWESOME! I’m restacking this 🤣 Thank you so much
Another great "compare-and-contrast" anecdote. The two sides are NOT alike. Thanks!
Brave Man.
The list of words hurled at those who express disagreement is growing. They throw them fast and furiously. A different point of view must be squashed. Cannot be allowed to stand. The intolerance is stunning.
The funny thing is that I saw a black woman on some video clip saying quite clearly that she was voting for Harris because she's black. No other reasons or qualification needed.
What we call "ignorance" or "evil" or "darkness" (call "it" what you will) cannot learn. It can only replicate itself. So the censorship "works" and SEEMS powerful but really it's just lightening fast because it is obviously AI or bots or whatever computer system that is set up to replicate the status quo. But the human censors (really, all of us at some degree) also censor when we do NOT want to learn, but simply replicate our own status quo beliefs. Sorry this was wordy, but hopefully my point for what it's worth was made.
Ha! Does a Pulitzer Prize mean anything these days? Remember that The NY Times got a Pulitzer for their fake Russia Hoax reporting. Two years later they had to report that what they wrote wasn't true, but they didn't return their Pulitzer! I no longer respect any of these so-called "prizes".
Sad but an excellent example of the (in)tolerance of so many on the left. The left is groupthink or get out. No free thinkers allowed. Brings me to an excellent lyric phrase, "Free thinking individuals are the rebels of society." The band is Tomorrows Bad Seeds and the song is called Trinity.
wow!!
Thanks Alex. That was a very thought-provoking response. You have some great readers! Literate Americans are so refreshing. The deliberate Dumbing Down of US citizens is really a root cause of a lot of our problems. So great to read and hear from a thoughtful and literate person!
Just in case you forgot. Comma la was never border czar. And FJB was fine until two weeks ago.
I heard that on the news. So it must be true.
stop grabbing stuff out of the memory hole! :-)
so true, occasionally I read comments on Yahoo news articles to see what people who read Yahoo news might think. Man oh Man... there are some really odd people out there who get to vote. I am absolutely sure they know only what they see on the nightly news or hear from a friend who watched the nightly news. I told my daughters recently that I knew they would all do amazing things in life, not because they are amazing ( but they are) but because the competition out there is nil !! Critical thinking is a lost art to most.
Thank you for publishing. The reader was on point.
Yes, it's nice to hear from the free subscribers too.
This lady is absolutely right about the scourge of real inflation, which is the cruelest tax on the poor and the Middle Class.
The government's inflation numbers (via the CPI) are as rigged and manipulated as all its Covid numbers.
I'm not a big Vance fan, but maybe now I'm convinced.
Thank you, Alex, for the space to debate!
Curious why you’re not a big Vance fan?
Honest dialogue. How refreshing!!!
Hire her!!
exactly what I thought
Thank you for posting this thoughtful excellent piece.
Piling on JD is so hip now. Thought you'd rise above the fray, Alex. Disappointing. But I am looking forward to your hit piece on Shapiro/Kelly et al.
He didn’t “pile on”. Alex thoughtfully, honestly expressed his misgivings about Vance. He thinks, and I agree that we should all talk about it in good faith knowing we’re all on the same side here. Or should be. I’m from Alex’s part of the world. And I’m not poor or lower income. And I agree whole heartedly whit the lady who responded to Alex. She was eloquent. And I’m a student and admirer or Lincoln and thought of him and the Civil War as soon as I read Vance’s comment about people not fighting for ideas. He’s wrong . But the lady is correct. Food on the table and a roof over your head is primary.
An author I like uses the phrase "practical idealist". I like that as a term. Ideas are hugely powerful (there is nothing more powerful, imo, because reality is created through perception, through the lens of beliefs and ideas and thoughts and assumptions). But a NON practical idealist is....... yikes!!!!!!..... a fanatic. Very dangerous. To me, "democracy" connotates the IDEAL of INVOLVING ALL OF THOSE IN A GIVEN SOCIETY authentically in order to prevent fanaticism, whether that be "from the right or the left" ideologically.
So weird huh. 😂
Michael Shellenberger posted a powerful piece yesterday on the Dems sudden and concerted use of the word weird to describe JDVance Weird means strange, non conforming which has historically been the mantra of the left. In fact until very recently the Aden’s were all about celebrating weirdness or nonconformity.He points out that the liberal city of Austin uses the slogan “ keep Austin weird”. Shellenberger( a lifelong Dem himself) explains that the Dems have lost the ability to distinguish between what’s weird and what’s harmful.The problem with them trans movement is that it’s harmful not simply that it’s weird. That sterilizing kids in an effort to “ change their sex” is harmful. Enabling addicts - others with mental “ illness” to camp us3 drugs and die in the sidewalks isn’t just weird it’s harmful. The Dems main Lin of attack on Vance is for his statements in support of people having children. His policies to financially incentivize parents to have children are hugely popular including with Democrats, and this by definition are not weird at all. This is a tremendous insight into the authoritarian attack on Vance. Dems are not emphasizing that they think Republican policies hurt women, children, and the environment (their traditional message) but rather that Republicans are outside the norm.
Really amazing, right???? Well said. Such an important point. "Keep Portland Weird". Now Vance is weird for being.... republican, white, .... whatever. I used to be on the left in Portland many years ago. Wow. So different back then, and yet I can see the roots of this mess back then too, in hindsight.
Yup - Isaiah 5:20
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
I have met JD Vance twice. Once before he was elected and once after but before he was chosen as VP candidate. I can say nothing to counter the lady's impression of him. I think he is who she says. I think we are all at risk of being taken out of context no matter how sharp we are. For those who are seeking the truth, we ask for further explanation and have a discussion. For those who wish to deceive, they run with the lie or obfuscation and don't care about the truth- they just want their side to win. As I have said elsewhere, it is about fooling the majority of the people all of the time in order to win. That is why they practice message discipline. Word of the day: Weird Who: JD Vance. A few weeks ago: Phrase of the day: Sharp as a tack Who: Joe Biden. It is all propaganda.
Finally, in all I have seen of Kamala Harris and her record, I would vote for the lady who does the impression of her before I would vote for Kamala. At least she is real and funny. Kamala is just a weirdo phony leftist and always has been. She and the Democrats have been deceiving us about Joe Biden for years and now we are supposed to embrace her? Everyone reading this newsletter received as many votes to be the Democratic nominee as she has - zero.
yeah honestly the lady who impersonates her.... yeah, I would hands down vote for her over Kamala even though I know nothing about her.
Hi Alex, thank you for sharing that.
I agree with her.
No politician is perfect, but some will take all of our rights away.
Jim in AZ
I think she did a pretty good job of describing JD Vance's narrative, and appreciate that you posted it.
An area that may or may not need to be expounded on with reference to' her comment:
"And freedom of assembly is long gone, permits are needed for almost every form of protest."
Yep almost every form of protest except for those that advance the narrative of the current ruling class.
I don't recall BLM or Antifa every requesting, and certainly many of the Pro Hamas / Palestinian support protests went w/o approvals.
YES YES YES!!!! I lived in Portland during the "summer of love." Every night for a year there were violent, destructive, and even terrifying riots. Millions of dollars in property damage. The downtown was hollowed out as businesses were looted, ransacked and burned. Permits? Restrictions? Arrests? SURELY YOU JEST. During COVID when we were locked in our homes a George Floyd riot was allowed in a public park, closed to the public you know...for Social Justice. Now we have Palestinian supporters looting and burning. Nothing happens to them but if you're a 70 year old woman praying a Rosary, off you go to jail.
The infamous K here also known as Kathy. The uneven and capricious enforcement of our laws is another serious problem that permeates our society. Those in power use every possible lever to prevent messages they disapprove of from being heard, even up to persecuting their opponents. The purpose of freedom of assembly is to allow citizens to join together to demand the government address their grievances. When the government allows those it agrees with free access to the public square and suppresses those they disagree with then the right to freedom of assembly is violated. If a right is abridged to any citizen or group of them, then it no longer exists in my view. The abuse of our laws and courts to control opposing views is a real threat to our democracy. It's one we all need to take very seriously.
Yes! It probably terrifies anyone who would consider protesting in the event the election goes the way of 2020. No one sane would want to be caught dead in such a situation as happened Jan 6 2021 as those folks are still being hunted down and prosecuted for exercising their constitutional right to redress our government for perceived grievances. Yes, there were some bad actors there. But 90% were constitutionally protected and yet they are not. We have seen what happens when the “wrong” side is the side protesting.
Well the Jan 6th riot was a stain on our country. I believe President Trump made a huge mistake in calling people to a rally, and not giving them direction and hope for the future. As I watched that rally on TV, I was sorely disappointed and concerned. I had hoped to hear plans for the future, such as calling for election reform (all paper ballots (no machines, ballots retained for a full year), universal voter ID verification, citizenship verification, barring of drop box use, barring 3rd parties from handling ballots, etc), calls for term limits in all federal elected positions and senior/supervisory administrative positions, calls for those willing to serve to run for office, and a commitment from President Trump to return to office in the next election, and asking for support in that effort.
Instead President Trump sent protesters to the capitol filled with grievance, and some of them misbehaved, and created an explosive situation. I do agree the Justice Department has gone overboard prosecuting many of those protestors/rioters, especially given the free pass given to the BLM and Antifa rioters in 2020 and beyond for far more violent offenses (burning a federal court house, killing security personnel, burning police cars, etc). The law needs to be applied evenly and fairly, and clearly that is not the current state of affairs. That needs to be addressed and fixed, otherwise one of the main ideals of our country's founding no longer applies: Equal Justice Under the Law.
Absolutely right on the money. Kudos. Thanks for sharing, Alex.