Jason Smith: Attempts to censor our past are dangerous; we should be honoring these great Americans

(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)

After the death of George Floyd, Americans across the country were united in their calls for justice. 

Now, over a month later, the responsible calls for justice have been drowned out by violent mobs. Local leaders in major U.S. cities have demeaned their law enforcement officers so harshly over recent weeks that it’s harder than ever for them to respond to the chaos. 

As a result, morale is plummeting. In Atlanta, a record number of cops are calling in sick. To make matters worse, Senate Democrat Leadership blocked legislation this week that would have helped bring our country back together.

 

Our founders established a system of government built on working together. It’s why the United States Senate and U.S. House of Representatives both have to approve a bill before it’s sent to the President’s desk for his signature. 

When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, they conference together to hash out the differences. While this is how our country has functioned for over 230 years, Chuck Schumer no longer believes in that vision of governing. 

This week, he blocked Senator Tim Scott’s JUSTICE Act, ending any chance of fruitful negotiations between the two chambers. 

Speaker Pelosi also made it more difficult this week when she said Republicans were “trying to get away with murder, actually—the murder of George Floyd.” 

It’s disheartening that Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are refusing to work with their colleagues and do their jobs. Worse, their divisive attitude is spreading to the mob across the country.

Recently, the mob has used their anger against our police officers to fuel their hatred of some of the biggest names in our nation’s history. Whether it’s George Washington who led us through the Revolutionary War and served as our first President, Abraham Lincoln who authored the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, or Teddy Roosevelt who broke up big corporations and empowered the people, no American hero is safe from the mob’s destruction. 

A statue of George Washington was toppled after rioters burned an American flag. In our nation’s capital, a statue paid for by freed slaves to honor President Lincoln’s work to abolish slavery is in danger of being torn down. 

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio is removing a statue of Teddy Roosevelt that has stood in front of The American Museum of Natural History since before the attacks of Pearl Harbor. These attempts to censor our past are incredibly dangerous. We should be honoring these great Americans for who they are, instead of tearing them down for being human and having flaws. 

Thankfully, like me, President Trump believes in protecting our history and honoring our heroes. This week, he signed an executive order, putting the federal government’s full weight behind holding those who deface, damage, or destroy national monuments and statues accountable for their actions. 

This bold leadership puts to shame the feeble appeasement tactics of Democrat mayors and governors who have caved to the mob. President Trump showed that he meant business when law enforcement officers quickly ended the mob’s attempt to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson outside the White House this week. He understands that this destruction and violence cannot continue; law and order must be restored.

These cities where the mob continues to loot, riot, and destroy are all run by Democrats and have been for generations. There have been endless opportunities over the last 50 years for these cities to make any changes they wanted to make their communities safer. 

Yet, these cities remain some of the most dangerous places in the country. Now is the time for accountability. Now is the time to end the violence and destruction going on around our country. Neither George Washington nor Abraham Lincoln have anything to do with the lawlessness in our cities. It’s the radical mob—and their intolerance of America—that is responsible. They are the real culprits and it’s time for them to meet justice.