Guarding the nation
The folks that brought you the January 6th storming of the Capitol have a message for students peacefully protesting the Israel-Hamas war. Bring on the National Guard
And for those college presidents who don’t stop the gatherings? Step down. Now.
All of this taking place as the former President of the United States argues before the Supreme Court that anything he did in office — including encouraging, then refusing to call off an insurrection — is legal.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Trump Toady — who authored a legal argument seeking to invalidate the 2020 election and says January 6th insurrectionists were just “walking through the building” — now believes Columbia University students should “go back to class and stop this nonsense.”
While urging Columbia President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik to resign because she did not do enough to protect Jewish students on campus.
Quick reminder, many evangelical Christians, of which Johnson is one, believe the presence of Jews in Israel is a precursor to Jesus returning to Earth, after which non-believers will be incinerated.
Doesn’t sound like they value Judaism to me.
But returning to Earth One, more ominously, Johnson added:
“This is dangerous. This is not the First Amendment, this is not free expression. If this is not contained quickly and if these threats and intimidation are not stopped, there is an appropriate time for the National Guard.”
Two words: Kent State. Where poorly trained guardsman using live ammunition fired 67 rounds in 13 seconds and killed four students and wounded nine others. They were brought in following demonstrations against Richard Nixon’s expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. The protest included setting a fire at the ROTC building.
Not exactly parallel to creating a tent encampment and uttering slogans, some vile and apparently coming from outside the locked campus gates. You know, outside agitators.
You don’t need to agree with demonstrators chanting pro-Hamas slogans while trivializing the terrorist organization’s role in provoking the conflict. But sorry, Speaker Johnson, as a First Amendment lawyer you know there is a right to protest. Even if you disagree with the demonstrators. Just ask Skokie, Illinois.
Now let’s contrast that with Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, R-Scared Rabbit, last seen encouraging J6 rioters with a fist salute before jack-rabbiting away from them when they were “walking through the building.”
Hawley, who holds a law degree from Yale, urged President Biden to call out the guard to deal with the “moral rot” in academia.
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, R-Posse Comitatus, a Harvard Law graduate, revised the advice he gave to call out the military to quell demonstrations after George Floyd’s murder. This time:
“I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands. It’s time to put an end to this nonsense.”
I guess it all depends on whose doing the protesting.
All this is taking place as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on Donald Trump’s claim that presidents are entitled to absolute immunity for acts they commit while in office. Even if they involve encouraging fake elector schemes (hello Arizona and Michigan, Georgia says hi!).
It’s worth a moment to pause to note that Justice Clarence Thomas, who is married to an election denier, feels he has no need to recuse himself from hearing Trump’s claims.
All of which have been forwarded to delay the possibility of the American public learning, before the election, whether their once and potentially future president is a criminal.
If only those resolute defenders of civility had shown the same inclination when insurrectionists assaulted police defending the Capitol while Trump delayed calling out the guard. Or urged him to resign. Or voted to impeach and convict him.
So much for the law and order party.