I saw an interesting article recently in The Liberal New York Times:
The Ottawa Trucker Protests Are a Test of DemocracyAn excerpt (emphasis added):
"We disagree with the protesters’ cause, but they have a right to be noisy and even disruptive. Protests are a necessary form of expression in a democratic society, particularly for those whose opinions do not command broad popular support. Governments have a responsibility to prevent violence by protesters, but they must be willing to accept some degree of disruption by those seeking to be heard. The challenge for public officials — the same one faced by Minneapolis and other cities in 2020 during the protests after the murder of George Floyd — is to maintain a balance between public health and safety and a functioning society, with the right to free expression. Entertaining the use of force to disperse or contain legal protests is wrong."I found the message of this article to be striking, as I'm old enough to remember the position espoused in The Liberal New York Times when it came to the anti-police brutality protests back in 2020:
Send In the TroopsThe nation must restore order. The military stands ready.
"One thing above all else will restore order to our streets: an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain and ultimately deter lawbreakers. But local law enforcement in some cities desperately needs backup, while delusional politicians in other cities refuse to do what’s necessary to uphold the rule of law.
The pace of looting and disorder may fluctuate from night to night, but it’s past time to support local law enforcement with federal authority. Some governors have mobilized the National Guard, yet others refuse, and in some cases the rioters still outnumber the police and Guard combined. In these circumstances, the Insurrection Act authorizes the president to employ the military “or any other means” in “cases of insurrection, or obstruction to the laws.”
This venerable law, nearly as old as our republic itself, doesn’t amount to “martial law” or the end of democracy, as some excitable critics, ignorant of both the law and our history, have comically suggested. In fact, the federal government has a constitutional duty to the states to 'protect each of them from domestic violence.'"---
Strange that The Liberal New York Times thinks it is appropriate to publish an article (from a sitting US Senator!) calling for the military to crack down on liberal protesters, but believes that the same kind of action being used against right-wing protests is
a danger to democracy. What a well-timed change of heart!
(In case anyone was wondering: yes, the Ottawa protests have also seen
property destruction and violence, much like the 2020 BLM protests that Republicans deemed "riots.")
From the Bundy Ranch standoff to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge seizure, from the Michigan capitol invasion to January 6th, it's clear: right-wing protesters will always be treated with the softest of kid gloves. In contrast, peaceful liberal protesters are
tear-gassed just so The Former Guy can cross the street and stage a photo-op holding a bible. And Canada is no exception; in the same Ottawa streets where these anti-government right-wing protesters are grinding Canada's capital to a standstill,
liberal protesters were arrested 2 years ago while protesting police brutality.
The idea that American media has a liberal bias is a sick joke.
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