Don Crawford

Don Crawford

President of Crawford Broadcasting and the voice of the STAND Podcast

Violence in America

“We’re pretty close to somebody getting killed.”

Those were the words of talk show host Rush Limbaugh who clearly indicated that he was genuinely worried about the out-of-control aspect of the violent verbal confrontations now going on in America.  Limbaugh blames the media for what he calls “incendiary coverage” of the issues of the day.  The verbal bombast is of course directed against President Trump, the Republicans and conservatives, not the liberals and progressives.  And, says Limbaugh, what is now essentially verbal, words used as weapons may well become guns and real weapons resulting in physical violence and harm.  If so, what a state the United States of America is in, don’t you think?

Recently, restaurant owner Stephanie Wilkinson, owner of the Red Hen Restaurant in Lexington, Virginia was advised by her liberal and progressive staff that President Trump’s White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and family were about to dine in her restaurant.  Wilkinson asked Mrs. Sanders to leave because her liberal staff detests the Trump Administration and they, the staff refused to serve the Sanders family.  Mrs. Sanders agreed to leave and said later on Twitter about the restaurant owner:

“Her actions say far more about her than about me.”

And so the great American Divide divides further.  We the people who may have much in common, once we are found to be either conservative or liberal, become polarized at that point with no dialogue possible.  So much for the UNITED States of America.

And there is Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat from California, who is one of the most radical, angry and even hateful spokesperson in this political fray.  Waters was sermonizing at the first AME Church in Los Angeles and she preached the following to the congregation:

“You’ve gotta know that I’ve gotta know that I’m here to do the work that I was sent to do, and as your pastor said to me when I came in this morning, when God sends you to do something, you just do it.”

The congregation, presumably there to worship and hear the Word of the Lord, rose with political cheers at the thought of more aggression against President Trump.  Waters, then told this frenzied crowd:

“I’m going back to Washington tomorrow morning.  I’m going to tell them pastor told me to come here and just do it.”

But, do just what, Maxine, violence against President Trump?  With someone with that little rationality, one would never know.

“Russia elected this President,” Waters screamed.

“We never dreamed we’d have someone in the White House was divisive, who could not tell the truth, and who was  intent on not making American great again, but taking America down.”

Talk about hate speech, and perhaps even borderline criminal speech attempting to incite others to riot.  It is inconceivable that the Democrats would not disavow Waters and her rant, but in their silence, even condone her actions and words for it seems for so many of them, ANYTHING GOES.  That is:

ANYTHING AGAINST TRUMP GOES

Elizabeth Warren, Senator from Massachusetts and a President candidate wannabe in 2020 has accused President Trump of “taking America to a dark and ugly place.”  It really is amazing how so much of this criticism is so general without specifics or facts.  It is as though Democrats, liberals and progressives feed on hysteria and frenzy and even encourage it.  At least one of Elizabeth Warren’s associates and colleagues went further calling for, get this my fellow Americans and especially you conservatives, “total social ostracism and perpetual public confrontation.”

Perpetual public confrontations!  Our Constitution allows for peaceful assembly, peaceful protest, but nothing even close to “perpetual public confrontations.”  It is as though Democrats-Progressives may believe that civil disobedience works for them and is perhaps the wave of the future.  God help us if that is the case.

And then of course there was Robert De Niro, once a good actor but now turned political radical, who as he presented at the Tony Awards, came on stage and his first words were unbelievably vulgar obscenities directed at President Trump.  And the Hollywood faithful, the clones, the lemmings, the vast majority of whom do not begin to understand the issues of the day, rose and cheered De Niro and his vulgar statement about Mr. Trump, the very De Niro who once before said that all he would like to do is punch up Mr. Trump’s face.  I for one do hope that civil and courteous Americans and conservatives never bothered to watch that show as I did not.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich said the following of this horrendous circumstance:

“Nastiness reflects desperation, not strength.  They can’t win the argument so they use nastiness.  Sad and DANGEROUS.”

Indeed it is dangerous, very dangerous for it will invariably lead to violence, physical violence and even killing as Rush Limbaugh fears and the absolute end of civility and civil discourse in our great country.  I do hope and pray that does not happen and that right-thinking people, Democrat and Republican can find a way to unite, condemn these horrendous actions and once again restore a certain civility to American’s interaction.

More fun Red Hen Restaurant owner Stephanie Wilkinson in Lexington, Virginia who said the following:

“This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals.”

So that now, perhaps, owner Wilkinson can stand at the door of her restaurant, vet the potential customers, determine whether or not they are conservative, Republicans or pro-Trump and if they are, refuse them service.  Why not just post a sign on the building stating:

“No conservatives allowed.”

Imagine such a scenario occurring across America.  Owners and decision makers in every industry, large or small, businesses everywhere refusing to serve or sell to American citizens who may politically believe otherwise.  I wonder if that could even begin to happen in churches and synagogues.  It surely does now in the arts, academia and the media where conservative is PERSONA NON GRATA.  In fact, the radical progressive left has only just begun.  Disastrous politicians like representative Maxine Waters from California now openly calls for more public confrontations.  She boldly states that Trump Administration officials should not be allowed anywhere in public.  Waters, rabble-rouser that she is stated the following:

“Let’s stay the course.  Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up.  If you see anybody from that cabinet (Trump) in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you CREATE A CROWD and you push back on them (physical violence?) and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere!”

Can you believe that?  If you are Republican, conservative, Trumpian in belief, you are not welcomed anymore ANYWHERE!  And her fellow Democrats do nothing and say nothing.  That speaks volumes for them, does it not?  Can you imagine what this country would be like if those radical-progressives ruled the roost, House, Senate much less President?  Think about that when you cast your vote.

And then there was the mayor of Portland, Oregon, Ted Wheeler who was not only mayor, but also police commissioner.  In light of the immigration controversies, an unruly mob showed up at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Portland (ICE), barricaded the exit, blocked the driveway, patrolled the property and at night, laid down on the street stopping traffic at the critical junction near a hospital.  200 people had occupied a site behind the ICE headquarters, refused to leave, and the Portland mayor and Chief of Police refused to do anything to protect the ICE employees or remove the unlawful protesters.  Mayor Ted Wheeler actually encouraged the protesters and stated:

“I do not want the Portland police to be engaged or sucked into a conflict, particularly from a federal agency that I believe is on the wrong track.
If ICE is looking for a bailout from this mayor, they are looking in the wrong place.”

ICE, Mr. Mayor, was not looking for a bailout, but simply equal protection under the law which was your legal duty to provide!  This mob, as many as 200 people including women and children, had setup camp behind the building where they harassed journalists and banned photography.  They even erected an eight foot wall around their site, the very same people who protested the potential of building a wall on the Mexican borders to prevent illegal immigration.  Not only did Portland Mayor Wheeler refuse to act or provide police services, but he actually stated the following:

“I joined those outraged by ICE actions separating parents from their children and support peaceful protests to give voice to our collective moral conscience.”

Peaceful protests?  The mayor obviously had not heard that the so-called separation policy had been abandoned, children were united with their parents and the matter was moot.  It also did not matter to this mayor that ICE employees were residents of the once great City of Portland, his very own people who needed his very own protection.  If you don’t believe as I do, this mayor says in effect, you are on your own.  If there is no Rule of Law respected and enforced whether in Portland or anywhere else, there will be no more America.  Be ready for violence, my fellow citizens, for it will come for sure, one episode at a time.  There is now terrorism, random killings, assassinations and now far worse, the potentiality for violence from unruly, hysterical, irrational mobs.  And now, with the Portland precedent, the possibility of all such illegal conduct, even a certain violence factor, occurring without POLICE PROTECTION!  So much for the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

And then there is Chicago.  It is on the one hand one magnificent city and on the other, a city more dangerous perhaps than any other in America.  72 people were shot and 12 were fatally wounded (killed) in ONE WEEKEND!  And that indeed is the extreme in America and the kind of scenario we should fear perhaps more than anything.  There was no then, nor has there been since any police action, for there seems to be no way the police can protect and prevent such criminal killing activity, so they say.  Gangs and criminals in Englewood, South Chicago have created warzones where virtually no one can walk, act or live.  Mayor Rahm Emanuel, once first in command to President Barack Obama has done nothing to prevent such criminal activity, so his opponents say.  So the killing goes on and one little geographical piece of America gets carved out, separated and becomes a warzone without the protections and benefits of the Constitution or the Rule of Law.  I wonder if that will happen elsewhere and I fear it will.  More than ever, we the people must stand up so that we can preserve-protect-defend our freedoms and our way of life.  Radicals, divisives, hate-mongers and those anti-America would wish to takeover and even destroy our great country.  We simply can not let it happen!

Recently, former President Barack Obama to his credit made the following statement about the lack of dialogue and communication between peoples who live democracies.  Obama stated:

“Democracy demands that we are able to get inside the reality of people who are different than us, so we can understand their point of views.
Maybe we can change their minds, but maybe they’ll change ours.”

And that, my fellow Americans is in fact THE AMERICAN WAY.  To get inside each other’s minds.  To dialogue.  To discuss.  To be reasonable and rational.  To respect others, their persons and their points of view, whether or not we agree.  For we can, as Americans used to be, agree to disagree, but those disagreements never followed up by radical civil disobedience, much less violence.  We are losing in America the ability to see people as equals, as fellow human beings, each of us God-created.  We are losing respect for each other, and we are becoming utterly without the ability to love one another.  We stand divided, no more united and we seem to encourage divisions and hostilities rather than understanding and peacemaking.  In such a world, violence is inevitable whether as now in word and angry protest and confrontation, but later inevitably physical violence even killings sure to come.  What a sad and tragic time for America and if it does not end, and we do not end it, it will be the end of our great country.

We need to stand tall and strong in the exercise and defense of our freedoms.  But we can not contribute to America dividing itself into two camps, hopelessly at odds having lost the ability to cooperate on work together.  I wonder if we the people are capable of doing that.  Do you think we can?  But, I do know of One who can, the great PEACEMAKER from 2,000 years ago.  There came a Babe from Bethlehem who came as the angel so clearly stated to bring PEACE AND GOODWILL TO ALL MANKIND.  I wonder if there will ever be either without HIM.

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