OPINION

For Democratic Leaders, it Wasn’t About COVID-19 Then, and It’s Not About BLM Now

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America is going through a bit of a rough patch right now. Over 100,000 dead courtesy of an invisible enemy from China. Massive layoffs and the closing, perhaps permanently, of countless small businesses across the country. Government compelled isolation imposed on the citizenry of the several states. A murdered American citizen on the streets of the once “Minnesota Nice” city of Minneapolis. To round all of this out, riots from coast to coast are inflicting untold economic, physical, and psychological damage on all Americans. It’s safe to say that, so far, the year 2020 has been the longest decade in a while. 

And, true to form, Democratic leaders from Congress, state capitals, and city halls throughout the country have raced to the forefront, not to provide solutions or assistance, but to throw gasoline on the fire of unrest. Not to fulfill their moral or institutional obligations, but to exacerbate the pain and anxiety, to leverage every ounce of their constituents’ suffering, for the maximum political gain. This is an election year, and, for Democratic leaders, these are good crises they cannot afford to let go to waste.

The outbreak of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd are two separate travesties that assaulted our nation in rapid succession. As the ramifications of each continue to wreak unimaginable havoc throughout the nation, the collective response from the political left has demonstrated how little regard they hold for the public and national good. The response to each crisis from the Democratic establishment, although so diametrically opposed in execution as to amount to utter hypocrisy, are so singular in purpose that they illustrate, with perfect clarity, the true aims of the election year Democrats. Tribalism over unity, divisiveness above solidarity, politics before public welfare.

When COVID-19 reached our shores in late January, where were the Democrats? They were fighting President Trump on his travel ban from Asia. Not much foresight or concern for the public good, but a perfect opportunity to hurl election year talking points of racism. “Don’t stand together to thwart a major outbreak” they seemed to scream, but “go to your respective corners and come out swinging!” Seemingly ignorant (perhaps willingly) of the rights and responsibilities inherent in our federal system, blue state/city Democrats brought no solutions with them when they chose to dump the consequences of the outbreak at 1600 Pennsylvania. 

When the administration’s calls to re-open America, echoed by the people of blue and red states alike, reached the ears of said governors and mayors, we were told that we could not go to school, church, work, or anywhere of importance out of an abundance of caution. Unemployment has soared, and businesses have closed. Kids have missed their school, their proms, and their graduations. Life has been turned upside down. At each and every turn, and to the detriment of their own voters, establishment Democrats have fought long and hard to keep the economy and people from bouncing back. Why? Because it is an election year, and a strong economy and content populace never bodes well for the party out of power. It is always better for the left to damage the nation rather than let prosperity precede a ballot.

On this past and forever tarnished Memorial Day, we, as Americans saw something horrible that we can never, and should never, erase from our collective memory. When George Floyd was murdered our nation itself was assaulted, our institutions, our identity-us. Yet we also saw something we have not seen in recent memory, national agreement. Right, left, and center, all, for once, agreed. It was a heinous murder. Derek Chauvin should go to prison, forever. Yet that unison that was displayed was not enough for a party bent on creating division, tribalism, and hate. Lest we forget, it was the very same blue state/city governors and mayors that were so content to shut the country down out of an abundance of caution and concern for the public welfare that, instantly and gratuitously, seized on the murder of George Floyd to foster division, and allow/encourage mourning and protests to become looting and rioting.

The collective cry from the left immediately became, dispense with social distancing and an abundance of caution if it can facilitate hatred and division before a presidential election. They would never let a good crisis go to waste. Why would they? Creating, then exploiting, division has been their lead card for years. This is the same party whose apparent standard bearer thought it prudent to question the racial background of any black American that dared not vote for him but never thought to question Elizabeth Warren’s?

The inescapable truth is, the establishment Democrats were more concerned with exploiting COVID-19 than confronting it. They sought to take our collective disgust at the murder of George Floyd and turn it into a weapon for each side to use against the other. In election year politics, the left would never allow a good crisis to go to waste, and they have never met a crisis they didn’t like.