Irony has become a sport in America played at a major league level by leftists. I’ve always appreciated the saying: You only have to listen to what the left is accusing the right of doing to know what the left is doing.
As an example, just spend a few moments listening to what former CIA head honcho John Brennan, ubiquitous on CNN and MSNBC, is accusing President Trump of, and you’ll see what I mean. Listening to this arrogant self-server, you’d swear the former Communist sympathizer is truly concerned about the U.S. Constitution. But this isn’t the only irony on the left.
In spectacular 1984 irony, the members of Antifa, which ostensibly stands for “anti-fascists,” are themselves persistent examples of one of the most fascist activist groups out there. They are a group that wears masks, carries weapons, and conducts direct, often violent, actions intended to shut down the free speech of those with whom they disagree.
They try to justify their actions by naming the speech they oppose hate speech. Commensurately, they justify their violence by saying their force is not violence but rather a form of self-defense against the right’s “hate speech,” which they contend is a form of violence.
Recently, Antifa showed up to counter-protest an anti-leftwing violence/pro-gun rights rally in Seattle involving Patriot Prayer, The Three Percenters, and others. Many of the pro-Second Amendment demonstrators were exercising their right to bear firearms.
Notably, in typical leftwing media fashion, an article about the rally in The Guardian referenced the word rightwing no less than nine times in a short, 670-word article. The piece is so cluttered with the word, it is impossible for readers not to trip over it. Leftwing was used only three times, including in the title, and each time was accompanied by the word “alleged” with regard to leftwing violence. With the glut of video evidence available, what is “alleged” about leftwing violence?
For example, last night I saw a news clip from an Antifa protest in Portland, Oregon. During the protest, an Antifa member clubbed Bernie Sanders supporter Paul Welch in the head, opening a bloody wound, causing him to drop to the ground.
Ironically, Welch is a committed leftist with what would seem like all the proper leftist bona fides. Bernie voter, Hillary voter, and Women’s March marcher. He said he’s even brought water, toilet paper, and sunblock to Portland’s Occupy ICE demonstrators.
What was Welch’s offense? He dared to carry an American flag. He said Antifa members called the flag “a fascist symbol” and demanded he turn it over to them. When Welch refused to give them his property, an Antifa thug struck Welch in the head with a club and wrenched the flag away.
Cop side note: By assaulting Welch and stealing his flag, that Antifa fascist (irony) committed a robbery—a serious felony. He should go to prison.
Back in Seattle, Antifa may not agree with what Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson or their compatriots had to say on that Saturday afternoon, but these conservative groups have as much right to peaceably assemble and to free speech as leftist groups do. Through the Second Amendment, they also have a right to bear arms—we all do. Some of them were doing all three, much to the displeasure of the Antifa bullies.
Now, I understand the intimidation factor carrying firearms can cause for all those cultural cupcakes not familiar with guns. I haven’t even decided if the optics of open-carry, especially of rifles, work better for Second Amendment supporters or does more damage to the cause.
On the other hand, I can argue that if people don’t exercise their constitutional rights, they are more in danger of losing them. Antifa sure exercises the hell out of its First Amendment rights and, with the help of their Democrat allies, often stretches the right beyond recognition, committing violence that is often justified as free speech.
KTTH 770 Radio’s Jason Rantz wrote about the irony of Antifa calling the cops (who were protecting free speech) fascists. The cops are there to keep the two groups from coming to blows. However, that is secondary. Just as the police are there to protect the free speech rights of leftwing Antifa when they demonstrate, in this case, they were there to protect the rights of a much less common event: a rightwing protest.
I was listening to a comment made by an Antifa supporter on the John Carlson Show, KVI 570 AM. The woman described the police protecting the group of Patriot Prayer and other anti-leftwing violence/pro-gun rights demonstrators as a “fascist escort service.” If that were true, the cops would have been escorting Antifa.
“‘Our City Hall should not give fascists the platform and our tax dollars should not pay fascists [cops] to protect fascists,’ said one unnamed protester, moments after cursing at and taunting the Conservative activists separated by a line of officers. The protester added, ‘Technically, hate speech is not covered under federal law, right?’”
No, of course not. The First Amendment only covers speech that offends no one, right? Maybe in Antifa’s fascist fantasyland. Not in the real world.
The article notes that before making the comment about hate speech the “unnamed protester” had just been “cursing at and taunting the conservative activists.” Why is Antifa’s cursing and taunting not hate speech? Oh, right. I keep forgetting. They get to make the rules. They get to define the terms and use them as they wish.
An Antifa member opposing fascism is like a Nazi saying he opposes racial and ethnic discrimination. The Nazis don’t pretend they are anti-Nazi. At least, the racist National Socialists are pretty up front about what they are. Can’t give them much, but you can give them that.
Not so much with a group that make statements such as the one above, calling police officers fascists for protecting Americans’ constitutional rights. Once again, we see Antifa draw that nebulous sword called hate speech with which they hack at other people’s free speech rights.
And not only from the right; those on the left better get in line, too. Just remember who gave Paul Welch a painful lesson in what happens, even to those on the left, if they oppose the fascist anti-fascists of Antifa.
