Originally published July 8, 2020
https://www.queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/2867-where-are-our-leaders
This past week saw a massive surge in the defamation, desecration, and destruction of the history of the United States of America. The ire of the mob is no longer limited to protesting police brutality or Confederate statues – perhaps it never was. The goal of the far-left is to burn down the country and hope that from the ashes a better system somehow emerges. Few, if any, of our elected leaders seem to have the political will to stop them.
Back in 2017, when there was a major protest at a statue of Robert E. Lee, President Trump predicted that the calls to demolish American history would not be limited to the former Confederacy. “I wonder, is it George Washington next week?” Trump asked. “And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You really have to ask yourself, where does it stop?” This question was met with mockery from the media, but Trump was right on the mark. Not only have statues of Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, Francis Scott Key, and many others been destroyed or defaced, but Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, the two leaders against the Confederacy and slavery, have been demolished, as well. This weekend, freed slave Frederick Douglas’ statue was obliterated and spread around Rochester, New York. Activists burned the American flag outside the White House, chanting a variety of expletives and yelling “America was never great.”
For those who claim that this radical violence is restricted to the fringes of the far-left, Mount Rushmore drew the ire of the media for the simple reason that President Trump was planning to speak there. The New York Times tweeted, “Mount Rushmore was built on land that belonged to the Lakota tribe and sculpted by a man who had strong bonds with the Ku Klux Klan. It features the faces of two US presidents who were slaveholders.” The “well, actually” defenders on the Internet were quick to obfuscate the clear message of the Tweet, which is the same as the flag burners outside the White House: that America was never great. The Father of our Country and the author of the Declaration of Independence have had all their accomplishments stripped away; they are now merely “slaveholders.”
Trump, to his credit, stood in front of the same mountain and loudly declared that “this monument will never be desecrated, these heroes will never be defaced, their legacy will never, ever, be destroyed, their achievements will never be forgotten, and Mount Rushmore will stand forever as an eternal tribute to our forefathers and to our freedom.” The President then proceeded to talk about the greatness of America, all the incredible men and women of many races who clung to the flag and the promise of America in the hope that the country would fulfill the words written in the Declaration of Independence, that “all men are created equal” (or as Joe Biden would put it, “you know, the thing”).
Trump spoke of the fringes that have been destroying monuments and attempting to tear down American history. “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” he said. That is undeniably true. Trump is one of the few people in the country who is willing to stand up for it – and that includes former Presidents and many members of Congress. Tammy Duckworth, Democratic Senator from Illinois, refused to condemn those who took down statues of Washington and Jefferson, saying, “We should start off by having a national dialogue on it.” When pushed further by CNN’s Dana Bash, she said, “I think we should listen to everybody! I think we should listen to the argument there.” As Newsbusters’ Mark Finkelstein put it, “This is how the Democrats tell you who their voters are.” Duckworth doesn’t want to reject the far-left, because that far-left is actually the base of the Democratic Party.
Contrast that with Trump’s rhetoric. “Before these figures were immortalized in stone, they were American giants in full flesh and blood, gallant men whose intrepid deeds unleashed the greatest leap of human advancement the world has ever known. Tonight, I will tell you and, most importantly, the youth of our nation, the true stories of these great, great men.” He then proceeded to talk about the Founders, and their achievements, giving a context and history lesson that those like Tammy Duckworth and the editorial board at The New York Times are unwilling to do.
Why is this so difficult? Shouldn’t every elected representative of this country, from the local dog walker to the Speaker of the House, be emulating the message that President Trump is saying? We live in an incredible, if flawed, nation. Those who lead that nation should be seeking out television cameras to defend it, not cower in the basement like the presumed Democratic nominee.
From the Left and the Right, there is a major failure to condemn these heinous acts of destruction. From the right, it’s from incumbents who are afraid that if they mimic Trump’s language, they’ll lose re-election. From the Left, it’s from the socialist base that elected Omar, Tlaib, and Ocasio-Cortez, who are the soul and future of the Party. If one were to scoff at this notion, consider this: Democratic Congressional leadership knelt a few weeks ago, emulating the pose glorified by Colin Kaepernick when he was supposedly protesting police brutality by kneeling during the National Anthem. That same failed quarterback, who was paid millions of dollars to sully Americans, tweeted on the Fourth of July, “Black ppl have been dehumanized, brutalized, criminalized + terrorized by America for centuries, & are expected to join your commemoration of “independence,” while you enslaved our ancestors. We reject your celebration of white supremacy & look forward to liberation for all.” This is the person who Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and a dozen others decided to emulate.
American leadership is scant. President Trump is far from perfect; but any person who loves this country, despite all its flaws, must recognize that the person who is willing to fight for it is far superior to the people who will lie down and let it be destroyed.
Moshe Hill is a political analyst who has written for The Daily Wire, the Queens Jewish Link, The Jewish Link of New Jersey and JNS.org. He is regularly featured on ‘The Josh M Show’ podcast. Subscribe to aHillwithaview.com for more content from Moshe Hill. Like him on Facebook at facebook.com/ahillwithaview and follow him on Twitter @TheMoHill.
