The Left’s Protest Culture
As a father and grandfather I am familiar with the tendency of very young children to throw temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want. For the most part they soon grow out of that stage and learn to handle denial and disappointment in a more mature manner.
The American Left appears to be stuck in that early stage of immaturity. The problem they face is their policy prescriptions are a failure. From the economy, to foreign affairs, to social policy the socialist bent of the Left has – as it has throughout history – been a complete disaster.
Unable therefore to make any cogent intellectual argument the Left has turned to protest as its go-to tactic. Professional agitators flush with cash from Left wing donors stoke the fires, sometimes literally, of any real or perceived transgression.
With the notable exception of the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol building the Right generally avoids protest, especially violent protest. For example, the conviction of former President Donald Trump by a kangaroo court in New York on made up charges did not see MAGA supporters flood the streets, overturn police cars and burn buildings.
The Left, however, is willing to stage protests at a moment’s notice. Armed with the knowledge that the legacy news media will report their antics as “peaceful protests,” they freely violate the law. The most violent protests swept the nation in the wake of the George Floyd killing in which cities across America were set ablaze.
Most recently the Left has been in high dungeon over Israel’s efforts to wipe out the terror group Hamas which conducted a raid last October that resulted in over 1,100 Israelis killed and hundreds taken hostage. Hamas continues to hold over 100 hostages – including eight Americans. Israel has rightfully demanded the release of all hostages as part of any settlement of the conflict. The refusal of Hamas to accede to that demand has prevented a negotiated end to the fighting.
Despite the clear history of atrocities committed by Hamas and the attack of October 7th the Left has somehow decided that Israel is the enemy and is demanding it end military operations in Gaza. This is the Left’s latest excuse for endless protests. Spurred on by professional agitators protest encampments blossomed on college campuses across the nation. Anti-Israel protestors continue harass elected officials from President Joe Biden to Senator Ted Cruz on a regular basis.
In the wake of this there has been an appalling rise in anti-Semitism including slurs, threats and violence against people of Jewish heritage. The legacy news media has covered this rise in anti-Semitism, but also “balances” that with coverage of the protests. Replace “anti-Semitism” with “racism” or “homophobia” and the resultant coverage would be drastically different.
The other favorite target of the professional Left-wing protestors is climate change. Based on the belief that the actions of humans can somehow alter the forces of nature, climate change has become the excuse for an historic expansion of government intrusion into the daily lives of every American.
Even the congressional baseball game, an annual charitable event in which Republicans and Democrats compete on the diamond was not immune to the Left’s protest culture. The recent contest was interrupted by both pro-Palestinian protestors and radical greens.
Here in Penn’s Woods the Left-wing protest culture is alive and well. Funding for school choice options has become a key issue in the state budget debate currently unfolding under the Capitol dome. It is a core component of Left wing orthodoxy that no education tax dollars should be spent on anything outside of government-run schools. The Left’s position is so radical they are willing to trap minority students in the most underperforming schools rather than give them the freedom to select an option that would most position them for success.
Since you can’t make a plausible argument for that the Left does what it always does – protest. So they descended on the offices of Senate Republican leaders. A spokesman for senate Republicans rightfully pointed out the tactic was the least likely one to change anyone’s mind.
Left wing radicals have also protested outside of legislative fundraisers, invaded a luncheon meeting of the Pennsylvania Press Club and even journeyed to New York City during Pennsylvania Society weekend to protest the funding of conservative causes by billionaire Jeffrey Yass. They did not, for some reason, protest the funding of Left-wing causes by George Soros.
Over the coming months the professional protestors of the Left will have many more opportunities to take to the streets oblivious to the fact that their tactics more often than not galvanize people against their causes.
(Lowman S. Henry is Chairman & CEO of the Lincoln Institute and host of the weekly Lincoln Radio Journal and American Radio Journal. His e-mail address is [email protected].)
Permission to reprint is granted provided author and affiliation are cited.
