This week viewers of the January 6 committee docudrama received two new installments of the standard liberal narrative: America nearly lost its democracy thanks to the extremist GOP.
Oregon residents got a far uglier, far more filthy reality last Friday. They awoke to a charred building after pro-abortion activists threw an incendiary device through the window of Gresham Pregnancy Resource Center near Portland. The group provides counseling and medical services to vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers.
Firebombing is one of an estimated 24 attacks on pregnancy centers and pro-life groups as Supreme Court draft opinion reversed Roe vs. Wade Leaked on May 2. An organization called Jen’s Revenge says it carried out some attacks, many of which had graffiti written on it: “If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either.”
The organization, which says it is “not one group but many”, released release Worse threat on Wednesday: “Now the lease is off. , , , We promised to take swift and drastic action against oppressive infrastructure. Rest assured that we will, and those remedies may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti. , , , From here onwards, any anti-choice group that closes its doors, and stops working, will no longer be a target. But unless you do, it’s open season. ,
The attacks came amid reports of a conspiracy to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Nicolas Roske, outraged by the draft opinion, reportedly showed up at the House of Justice packing a pistol, ammunition, a knife, duct tape and zip ties. A radical group called Ruth Send Us responded to the threat against Justice Kavanaugh by organizing more protests outside judges’ homes. News organizations warned courts, lawmakers, clergy and medical providers of the growing threats from a range of violent extremists in a Department of Homeland Security memo last month.
This is the real story – an explosion of political violence from all sides – and the committee is missing a forest for trees. The January 6 riots were a horrific event, involving fringe right-wing extremists. Equally terrifying has been the firebombing of pregnancy centers, involving fringe left-wing extremists. The terrifying category included the 2017 Republican congressional shoot-up at baseball practice, Charlottesville, Va. A Portland, Ore., courtyard by rioters.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies maintains a database of domestic terrorism, which it defines as the use or threat of violence by non-state actors to achieve political goals (like the US government). It reports a significant increase in such incidents in metropolitan demonstrations in 2020 and 2021—”a major break from historical trends”—and notes that government, military and law enforcement are increasingly becoming targets. About 49% of incidents in 2021 were done by people on the far right, and 40% by people on the far left.
The White House and Democrats are refusing to address the problem because it is not politically convenient. January 6 was his opportunity to portray the entire GOP as a party of rebels—never mind the video of the riots depicting a class of extremists that is foreign to most conservatives. With inflation eroding his political fortunes, Democrats are doubling down on this mid-term strategy, with Mr Biden dubbing his opponents “ultra-mega Republicans”.
That’s how you end up with a prime-time hearing on January 6th that ignores the widespread violence and instead feeds a tight, partisan narrative. Or a White House that still wouldn’t condemn protests outside Justices’ homes. Or a Democratic House that was embarrassed to vote for a bill calling for more protections for judges and their families (with 27 Democrats voting “no”). Or a media that described the 2020 riots and fires as “peaceful protests” and which barely mentioned the attacks on pregnancy centres. Democrats will also not accept violence on the left for fear of wrecking the political narrative.
That way you end up with more violence. This week Mr Biden raged about an “ultra-maga agenda attacking families and our liberties”. The January 6 committee is insisting that Republicans were engaged in a massive “coup attempt.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said again this week that the Supreme Court is “occupied by large special interests” and will not stop overturning Roe vs. Wade. Not a day goes by when an elected Democrat doesn’t tell the public (falsely) that the GOP intends to take away their voting rights and basic freedoms and kill the planet. Politician on the right answer in kind. It’s no surprise that some fanatics felt inspired to act.
The big story of January 6th is that many brave Republicans refused to swallow or promote the insane claims, and the institutions held on. We will need much more Washington to follow suit than to have any hope of stemming the tide of political violence.
Write to Kim@wsj.com
Review and Outlook: Protests began outside the homes of Supreme Court justices in early May, and on June 8, 2022, a man was arrested after telling police that he planned to kill Brett Kavanaugh. So why is Nancy Pelosi sitting on a bill to protect Justice’s families? Image: Jacqueline Martin / The Associated Press
opinion | january 6 forest for trees
This week viewers of the January 6 committee docudrama received two new installments of the standard liberal narrative: America nearly lost its democracy thanks to the extremist GOP.
Oregon residents got a far uglier, far more filthy reality last Friday. They awoke to a charred building after pro-abortion activists threw an incendiary device through the window of Gresham Pregnancy Resource Center near Portland. The group provides counseling and medical services to vulnerable pregnant women and new mothers.
Firebombing is one of an estimated 24 attacks on pregnancy centers and pro-life groups as Supreme Court draft opinion reversed Roe vs. Wade Leaked on May 2. An organization called Jen’s Revenge says it carried out some attacks, many of which had graffiti written on it: “If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either.”
The organization, which says it is “not one group but many”, released release Worse threat on Wednesday: “Now the lease is off. , , , We promised to take swift and drastic action against oppressive infrastructure. Rest assured that we will, and those remedies may not come in the form of something so easily cleaned up as fire and graffiti. , , , From here onwards, any anti-choice group that closes its doors, and stops working, will no longer be a target. But unless you do, it’s open season. ,
The attacks came amid reports of a conspiracy to assassinate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Nicolas Roske, outraged by the draft opinion, reportedly showed up at the House of Justice packing a pistol, ammunition, a knife, duct tape and zip ties. A radical group called Ruth Send Us responded to the threat against Justice Kavanaugh by organizing more protests outside judges’ homes. News organizations warned courts, lawmakers, clergy and medical providers of the growing threats from a range of violent extremists in a Department of Homeland Security memo last month.
This is the real story – an explosion of political violence from all sides – and the committee is missing a forest for trees. The January 6 riots were a horrific event, involving fringe right-wing extremists. Equally terrifying has been the firebombing of pregnancy centers, involving fringe left-wing extremists. The terrifying category included the 2017 Republican congressional shoot-up at baseball practice, Charlottesville, Va. A Portland, Ore., courtyard by rioters.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies maintains a database of domestic terrorism, which it defines as the use or threat of violence by non-state actors to achieve political goals (like the US government). It reports a significant increase in such incidents in metropolitan demonstrations in 2020 and 2021—”a major break from historical trends”—and notes that government, military and law enforcement are increasingly becoming targets. About 49% of incidents in 2021 were done by people on the far right, and 40% by people on the far left.
The White House and Democrats are refusing to address the problem because it is not politically convenient. January 6 was his opportunity to portray the entire GOP as a party of rebels—never mind the video of the riots depicting a class of extremists that is foreign to most conservatives. With inflation eroding his political fortunes, Democrats are doubling down on this mid-term strategy, with Mr Biden dubbing his opponents “ultra-mega Republicans”.
That’s how you end up with a prime-time hearing on January 6th that ignores the widespread violence and instead feeds a tight, partisan narrative. Or a White House that still wouldn’t condemn protests outside Justices’ homes. Or a Democratic House that was embarrassed to vote for a bill calling for more protections for judges and their families (with 27 Democrats voting “no”). Or a media that described the 2020 riots and fires as “peaceful protests” and which barely mentioned the attacks on pregnancy centres. Democrats will also not accept violence on the left for fear of wrecking the political narrative.
That way you end up with more violence. This week Mr Biden raged about an “ultra-maga agenda attacking families and our liberties”. The January 6 committee is insisting that Republicans were engaged in a massive “coup attempt.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said again this week that the Supreme Court is “occupied by large special interests” and will not stop overturning Roe vs. Wade. Not a day goes by when an elected Democrat doesn’t tell the public (falsely) that the GOP intends to take away their voting rights and basic freedoms and kill the planet. Politician on the right answer in kind. It’s no surprise that some fanatics felt inspired to act.
The big story of January 6th is that many brave Republicans refused to swallow or promote the insane claims, and the institutions held on. We will need much more Washington to follow suit than to have any hope of stemming the tide of political violence.
Write to Kim@wsj.com
Review and Outlook: Protests began outside the homes of Supreme Court justices in early May, and on June 8, 2022, a man was arrested after telling police that he planned to kill Brett Kavanaugh. So why is Nancy Pelosi sitting on a bill to protect Justice’s families? Image: Jacqueline Martin / The Associated Press
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