The capturing of 10 Republican votes
in the House vote on the single article of impeachment renders it the most bi-partisan
impeachment ever. But to listen to the other Republicans oppose the action,
they were unable or unwilling to defend the president on the merits but offered
an absurd dose of “whataboutism.”
Some Republicans used the Black
Lives Matter marches and disturbances from this past summer as an equivalent of
the violence Trump incited. Several days earlier Marco Rubio noted, “The events
that we saw this week should sicken every single one of us ... Riots should be
rejected by everyone, every single time,” he said. “Now, are the left
hypocrites? Absolutely. I remember what they now are calling ‘insurrection,’
they were justifying just this summer.”
Let’s look at some of the differences.
The BLM marches crossed racial lines and were a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. He held his knee on the throat of the unarmed Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as the victim begged him to stop. At the time this was the most graphic incident of a police officer killing an unarmed Black person as footage later released provided the horrors of the act.
Similar incidents have occurred
for decades around the country. The means to carry out the deaths may be
different but not the results.
In cities all over the U.S. and
countries around the world, people demonstrated peacefully by marching to
demand police reform and justice. Yes, some criminal elements broke ranks and
burned and looted property. But contrary to the assertions made by
congressional Republicans during the impeachment debate, Democrats did condemn
the violence associated with these marches, especially Joe Biden who did so emphatically
on multiple occasions. 
Unlike the domestic terrorists
spurred on by Donald Trump, the protesters during the BLM marches did not
attempt to illegally breach and destroy the Capitol building in Washington. They
did not target lawmakers or any individuals during the demonstrations. They did
not come armed to the teeth to include pipe bombs, guns of all types, poles, bats,
pipes, hockey sticks, knives, zip ties and other weaponry. They did not dress in military-style uniforms
and head gear looking for combat. And if they had, I doubt the BLM would have
been treated by police with the same deference as Trump’s mob.
Unlike the mostly white,
anti-Semitic and racist insurrectionists, the BLM protesters did not try to
overthrow the government by attempting to prevent the orderly and peaceful
certification of -the Electoral College results. Unlike Trump’s frothing-at-the-mouth
rabid followers, the BLM protesters did not go headhunting for Vice President
Pence and Speaker Pelosi. They did not chant “Hang Mike Pence” and erect a
gallows in front of the Capitol to finish the job.
Moreover, the BLM protesters did
not bludgeon a policeman to death as was done by those who push the Blue Lives
Matter mantra.
The biggest difference of all is
that the BLM protesters were reacting to systemic racism present in our cities’
police forces while the Trump insurrectionists were acting on the big lie that
the election was stolen. So remorseful was Trump that he was enjoying all the
action at the Capitol with a smirk and satisfied that people were fighting for
him.
Republicans are desperate not to
leave the good graces of Trump and his cult-like followers to even try to
compare these two events. Someone tell me how a seditious coup attempt that resulted in
five deaths and much destruction to the citadel of democracy is equivalent to
stealing a box of Pampers from a store.
