LETTER: Condemn all violence
What happened on Jan. 6 was horrific to the nth degree, and those who stormed the Capitol should receive what they deserve. But shouldn’t all violence be condemned? I have a friend who only watches CNN and MSNBC, and he wasn’t aware of the violence in the cities over the last several months. Is any violence allowed or ignored, even if it is not seen or heard? Is it any less hurtful to those feeling the pain? The left and the media hide it under the label, peaceful protest. But they are clever to always preface those words with another word. When people’s businesses were burnt to the ground, and they lost their livelihood, it was reported as a mostly peaceful protest. Mostly is the key word. And when police were attacked with bricks and cocktails, when federal buildings and police stations were set on fire, well, that could have occurred, but it was during a largely peaceful protest. Here, largely is key. By reporting it this way, they want to persuade their followers that if anything actually happened, these acts were so minor in comparison to the main event, the peaceful protest. Therefore, no or minimal coverage is needed.
There was no coverage of the retired police chief, David Dorn, who was slain by looters, when he went to help a friend. To those stations, if that really happened, it was during a (get ready) mainly peaceful protest. Do you think his family feels their loss as minor? Is any cause reason enough to make others suffer for that cause?
Even this newspaper didn’t have much coverage of these events, but they can only print what the almighty Associated Press will allow. And the usual suspects who are allotted half an editorial page to school everyone on the dangers and evils of Trumpisms were absent on this. Hypocrisy, or did a sudden case of agraphia take hold?
On a smaller scale, but no less frightening to those involved, no coverage of an elderly couple, among others, who had their food ripped from them as they tried to eat in Pittsburgh. I guess they should have known not to go out in the middle of a (fill in the blank) peaceful protest!
Robert J. BonAnno
Washington