Mobs breaking into and occupying government buildings are always bad, but when leftists are responsible, a memory hole soon opens and engulfs the media's recollections. True conservatives support law and order and peaceful protest for redress of grievances, a sacred constitutional right. Rights bring with them responsibilities, and strict adherence to the law is a fundamental obligation of those who speak out in disapproval.
The U.S. Capitol is a sacred temple of our democratic republic and ought to be viewed as such, not a target for violence. Period. But a little historical perspective is in order in understanding how mob violence directed at official buildings is no monopoly of conservatives or Trump-supporters.
Just over two years ago, the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill was occupied by protestors seeking to block the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. See this video from MSNBC:
JUST IN: Anti-Kavanaugh protesters take over the Hart Senate Office Bldg. atrium on Capitol Hill. https://t.co/jCIbxhTKeu pic.twitter.com/DkOgzngMh4
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) October 4, 2018
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Twitter screen grab.
While a Senate office building is not the same as the Capitol itself, the occupants — senators and staffers — were just as intimidated as those who were caught in the Capitol yesterday.
And when it comes to a capitol building itself, the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison was taken over and occupied by protesters battling against right-to-work legislation opposed by government employee unions.
Photo credit: Joe Rowley, CC BY-SA 3.0 license.
The Wisconsin rioters did substantial damage to the state capitol, primarily with graffiti to the white marble.
At the time, I was outraged (as I am outraged by the violation of the U.S. Capitol yesterday), but the mainstream media did not use it as a cudgel to attack unions or leftists.
