LETTER: Violence not justified

Violence not justified
We have all witnessed demonstrations in our lives.
It is insulting to be told by anybody, including Gary Stout and Ben Bright, chairman of the Washington County Democratic Party, that all of these people are peaceful protestors.
People, including law enforcement officers, have been seriously injured and businesses pillaged.
Troops, and by that I mean members of the U.S. armed forces, were not deployed to Portland and other cities these past few months. Federal officers from the U.S. Marshal’s Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protection Services were sent to protect federal property and monuments when local authorities were unable to do so. This is one of the responsibilities of these organizations.
Now we are told that people were incited to violence by the mere presence of these officers. What kind of sickness is this?
Drive down to the federal courthouse or office building in Pittsburgh and try spray painting obscenities on the walls, not to mention tossing a brick or Molotov cocktail, and see what happens to you.
When did it become “good trouble” to throw a rock at a cop? Are they kidding?
Employing law enforcement officers to enforce the laws to include protecting persons and property is the hallmark of a civilized society and a sovereign nation.
I, for one, am not going to suspend logic and reality and buy into a philosophy that justifies violence by private citizens and seeks to nullify the use of force by officers to suppress it.
Steven R. Wolf
Washington{&end}