Take it from me: Politics has no place for violence

Many Democrats who were rightfully quick to join us in condemning last week’s events at the Capitol were noticeably silent over the summer. In those months, Americans watched looters ransack small businesses while cities went up in flames. Radical progressives attacked police precincts and federal courthouses, and leftist protesters clashed repeatedly with police. In Minneapolis, Kenosha, Wis., Seattle’s “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” the District of Columbia and other cities, many elected officials outright enabled a cruel disregard for life, property and the rule of law in the name of social justice. Many in the media cheered the violence. “Show me where it says protesters are supposed to be polite and peaceful,” CNN’s Chris Cuomo said.

Elected officials and media personalities have a responsibility to condemn political violence and violent rhetoric across the board, not only when it’s politically convenient. Republicans don’t have a perfect record either. They must commit to this ideal alongside Democrats. Selectively condemning political violence sends a message to would-be perpetrators that cruelty and destruction in the name of a political agenda will be celebrated. We must put a stop to this dangerous idea. America settles its differences through debate and democracy, not mob rule and violence.