In the June 5 Cape Gazette, the Delaware Young Republicans described antifa (or anti-fascists) as a “violent anarchist movement whose goal is to disrupt American unity” and “destroy our Constitution.”
“How long,” thundered the Young Republicans, “will the Delaware Democrat Party leaders frolic in the mud with anarchists who are hell-bent on bringing destruction to our communities and ending the liberty and independence that Americans cherish?”
Gracious!
But they aren’t the only ones riled up about assaults on our Constitution.
So are James Mattis, a retired four-star general and a former secretary of defense, and Mike Mullen, a retired admiral and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Both issued blistering statements condemning recent violations of our constitutional rights. Only they weren’t talking about antifa. They were talking about Trump.
On June 1, the Trump administration forcibly removed nonviolent protesters from Lafayette Square in violation of their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble. The reason: Trump wanted to conduct a photo op using the Bible as a prop. (Which in itself is offensive.)
The display of force left Mattis “angry and appalled.”
“The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court,” Mattis wrote. “This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand - one that all of us should be able to get behind.”
Mullen was likewise disgusted. “It sickened me yesterday to see security personnel - including members of the National Guard - forcibly and violently clear a path through Lafayette Square to accommodate the president’s visit outside St. John’s Church …
“Whatever Trump’s goal in conducting his visit, he laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country.”
Both of those men are retired and beyond easy reach of Trump’s vindictiveness. Not so Army Gen. Mark Milley, the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making his memo to service members all the more extraordinary:
“Every member of the U.S. military swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the values embedded within it. This document is founded on the essential principles that all men and women are born free and equal and should be treated with respect and dignity. It also gives Americans the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.”
It was dated June 2, the day after Trump’s grotesque spectacle at Lafayette Square.
What’s more, Milley, who was part of Trump’s entourage that day, apologized for the role he had played in the president’s stunt.
“I should not have been there. My presence in that moment and in that environment created a perception of the military involved in domestic politics. As a commissioned uniformed officer, it was a mistake that I have learned from, and I sincerely hope we all can learn from it.”
No excuses, no blaming others; just taking responsibility for his actions.
That’s called leadership. Name another Trump administration official who does that.
As for antifa, FBI investigations have come up empty. According to court records reviewed by NPR, 51 people face charges related to the recent unrest. None have ties to antifa.
The only connection to an extremist group was the case of three men tied to the Boogaloo movement, a right-wing anti-government group.
If the Delaware Young Republicans are concerned about our constitutional rights, they should follow the example of Mattis, Mullen and Milley.
They should quit chasing antifa phantoms and call out the real threat to our constitutional rights, the one right in front of our eyes: the president of the United States.
Don Flood
Lewes
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