It is a well-known fact that the re-election of President Donald Trump was received with surprise and consternation by many Democrats. A sense of displeasure has lingered on, but it has only recently surfaced just how much some Democrats are seething with fury. However, the dissent is not limited to vocal legislators such as Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas. As stated by Axios, the discontent has veered towards the radical among her moderate Democratic counterparts on facing increasing demands at their town halls from constituents and activists.
These individuals are urging their representatives to eschew the conventional rules of politics and engage in tactics that could be seen as underhanded or even dirty. In fact, these demands escalated to the point where there were calls for physical harm to push their political agendas. A Democratic lawmaker told Axios that their party base was telling them that their current strategies were falling short.
Moreover, radical suggestions were being voiced that a demonstrative act of sacrifice, even to the point of bodily harm, at protests at facilities like the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), would draw enough media and public attention. There were also constituents pushing back on the idea of civil discourse, indicating a readiness to resort to violent measures. Another representative described the situation as akin to the Roman Coliseum, where there was an ever-increasing appetite for more spectacle.
Obviously, such sentiments indicate the evolution of traditional politics from the usual ballot-box competition, even transcending the more extreme stage of civil disobedience protest. It seems that these Democrats are now willing to convert political conflict into physical confrontations. Violence has already become prevalent, as exemplified by incidents in Alvarado, Texas.
On the Fourth of July, a militant group that broadly aligns with Democrat beliefs launched what officials are calling a ‘coordinated attack’ on ICE’s Prairieland Detention Center. Court records detail that around 10:30 p.m., a group of 10 to 12 radicals, all wearing black attire, began launching fireworks at the building. Some of these individuals even initiated vandalism on parked vehicles.
Calling 911, unarmed ICE workers were assisted by an arriving officer from the Alvarado Police Department. The official court statement describes a dire situation where the officer was shot in the neck area as he exited his car, a shot that originated from an attacker hidden in the nearby woods. A second shooter then targeted the unarmed Homeland Security correctional officers, firing an estimated 20 to 30 rounds.
Subsequent police search uncovered two AR-15-style rifles and spent casings in the woods around the area. The alleged attackers were rounded up during their escape, with some found in the woods and others on a nearby road. The court document identifies seven suspects, attired in black military-style clothing, some wearing body armor, covered in mud, outfitted with radios and armed.
Surviving the neck injury, the officer was fortunate, but the 10 arrested suspects were hit with attempted murder charges. This is the tip of the iceberg of protests against the Trump administration’s implementation of immigration law, and it represents the violent extreme of these demonstrations.
Other instances of recent radicalization involve leftist extremist Elias Rodriguez, allegedly part of a ‘Free Palestine’ group, and he is charged with the murder of two Israeli Embassy staff members in front of the Jewish National Museum in Washington. Luigi Mangione, another incident of interest, is the prime suspect in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.
Even with the severity of his crime, Mangione received acclaim in certain left-leaning circles where his actions were diminished or justified as a radical move against a purportedly oppressive healthcare system. On top of these occurrences, riots have erupted in places like Los Angeles with varying degrees of disorder, often involving the participation of Democratic legislators, associated groups or labor unions.
Furthermore, data shows a troubling decrease in the number of Democrats expressing pride in their American identity. In 2015, during the Obama era, 80 percent of Democrats were ‘extremely or very proud’ to be American as per Gallup’s records. However, this figure has dramatically shrunk to less than half, only 36 percent, under Trump’s administration.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten highlighted that the fall in patriotic sentiment among Democrats is quite the contrast to the stable perceptions among Republicans. In 2015, during President Obama’s time, 90 percent of Republicans expressed pride, which remains virtually unchanged at 92 percent under Trump’s administration.
Piecing together these troubling patterns shows that certain Democrats and their allies are advocating for violent dissent against President Trump’s policies. Concurrently, groups associated with progressive Democratic ideologies are turning violent in their attempts to oppose the president’s enforcement of federal immigration law.
Radical actions have even escalated to politically motivated murder, actions that find justification and support in certain extremist circles on the left. All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a major political party experiencing a significant dip in an essential aspect of civic dedication – being proud to be an American.
The presented scenario is deeply alarming, and there seems to be no hint of imminent improvement. As things stand, the American political landscape appears more divided and violence-prone than ever before, predominantly provoked by the re-election of President Donald Trump.
The post Partisan Fury: The Radicals Taking Over Democratic Opposition appeared first on Real News Now.
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