“Then someone crossed the line and bashed a man in the head with a U-shaped bike lock.”
In April, supporters of President Donald Trump held a pro-Trump rally in Berkeley, California in response to militant protestors shutting down free speech. They were met with violent masked mobs. Clashes turned bloody and the entire nation watched with horror at the videos posted to social media and news outlets showing an all-out war between American citizens with differing political beliefs.
Shocking and hard to believe was the violence occurring within the United States. One particular video actually had me questioning humanity. It showed a crowd of masked individuals converging on what I assumed were Trump supporters. A woman was in the front hurling insults and profanities. She even attempted to hit cell phones people were using to record the incident as she advanced aggressively towards pro-Trump participants.
Verbal altercations ensued as both sides exchanged words. Then someone crossed the line and bashed a man in the head with a U-shaped bike lock. After a lengthy investigation into the incident, one that included homicide detectives, authorities arrested Eric Clanton, a local community college philosophy professor. Clanton is being accused of three counts of assault with a deadly weapon that isn’t a firearm and assault causing great bodily injury.
In the viral video—which played a key role in identifying the assailant— the victim’s head immediately begins gushing blood upon being bashed with the lock. He was immediately assisted by those next to him and given medical treatment as an ambulance was called. This wasn’t a criminal act carried out by an uninformed college student or street thug. This man was a college professor, of philosophy no less! His name began to appear online, being identified as the assailant who hit multiple people with a large bike lock. He turned himself into authorities after an arrest warrant was served to an Oakland address.
Showing complete lack of self-control, these attackers have been getting more and more violent. Of course, they have their faces covered up so they can’t be identified. That detail strikes me as the most cowardly aspect of these rioters. Why is there a need to conceal identity while exercising rights that are guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States? These people show up to cause damage while protesting someone else’s right to freedom of speech. I use the word protesting loosely while describing these citizens.
The fact that college professors are now becoming involved in these attacks makes me wonder what other respected professions are represented behind the masked thugs that take to the streets. It’s a dangerous world to live in when those entrusted to shape young minds participate in cowardly acts of violence. Eric Clanton is supposed to be teaching and promoting logic and reason. The fact that he showed up to a rally he didn’t agree with isn’t the issue. Rather than engage in dialogue or challenge pro-Trump rally members with opposing ideas in a civilized fashion, this behavior shows what a hack he is.
