US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, an inveterate rabble rouser, should never have experienced what occurred last week. No American should. But in another horrifying turn, more lawlessness, her home was invaded and her husband attacked with a hammer. The deranged assailant was stopped by police. What lessons flow from that sobering event? Call it “messages within messages.”
First, as AMAC and this writer have often noted, political violence – if that is what this was – has no place – not against a Party or a person. As recently as October 26, these pages made it clear: Political violence, whether starting with the 2020 riots or later, must never become the “norm.”
Second, political leaders on left and right must turn down the volume, then speak against political violence at every turn, from every quarter, no matter if it favors their cause. It is indefensible. In a republic based on rule of law, it must be denounced, not silently permitted.
Accordingly, it is equally wrong to suggest, as Pelosi did, that venting “righteous anger” on American streets is right, or to say, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer did, that Supreme Court justices overturning Roe “will pay,” another nod: or to defend mob violence on January 6.
Political violence is always destructive to a democracy, producing fear, retaliatory anger, intimidation, chilling, and reduced public trust. The stated justification is never a justification.
Third, enforcing laws that deter political violence – for example, 18 USC 1507, which includes protesting near a Supreme Court Justice’s home, stalking their children, and confronting them with threats – is vital if we want to prevent fear, intimidation, chilling, and a rise in political violence.
Wrong is Biden’s Justice Department ignoring federal law, allowing organizations that targeted five conservative justices with threats after Dobbs to walk. Justices feared “assassination” – and the Biden Justice Department did little to intervene. That was wrong.
If partisanship is permitted to affect the fair administration justice, by either party at any time, permitting potential political violence to get the nod, even implicitly, the nation is at risk. That is also true, of course, if it involves reacting to an election or vote count, obviously.
Fourth, the Second Amendment is more vital today than at any prior time. If Mr. Pelosi had drawn a firearm inside his California home when the assailant confronted him with a hammer –the intruder would have been stopped, one way or the other.
Think on the irony: Those vehemently opposing Second Amendment rights often pay a high price for not defending and exercising them when they could be more secure supporting them.
Conversely, one could now perhaps imagine hammers having to be registered – as they, like guns, knives, and automobiles, can be used by the deranged, deluded, and inflamed to do harm.
Fifth, the fact that Lee Zeldin, Republican candidate for Governor of New York, had to professionally disarm a knife-wielding assailant, then his children cowered as teens shot each other on his lawn – added to the Pelosi event – punctuates reality: Democrat policies are spiking crime. The numbers continue to rise, as deterrence is downplayed and order continues to fray.
Sixth, how ironic that underfunded, unsupported, unappreciated police – which Democrats have defunded and disparaged, actually got to the Pelosi home mid-crime, tackled the intruder, and likely saved Mr. Pelosi’s life. The irony should trigger a Democrat rethink – but likely will not.
Ironic too is the fact that Mr. Pelosi had himself just been arrested for driving while under the influence, reportedly angling for a “courtesy” from the same police professionals who said no.
Seventh, perhaps most profoundly, the Pelosi incident reminds us that throwing rocks can trigger a rockfall. When you resort to extreme rhetoric, push anger, encourage “revolution,” as a Democrat Senator from NH did before Dobbs, or imagine inflaming others is easy, beware fire.
When a President of the United States describes opponents as “enemies of the state,” says they “undermine democracy,” are “extremist” and want to “make America great again,” because they criticize his behavior, corruption, and use of executive power, it invites a sharp response.
The real problem is that none of this, encouraging, permitting, or remaining silent on political violence, undermining the Second Amendment, ignoring crime, vilifying police and opponents – helps to preserve peace, harmony, democracy, liberty, opportunity, or order needed for all five.
In the end, the Pelosi incident is not about a specific act, but the degree to which our society has drifted away from longstanding norms, deterrence, and order. This election is about whether we value those norms enough to preserve them. We should – the message within the message.
The responsibility for this kind of violence is the corrupt, treasonous politicians on the left.
Why would pelosi associate himself with such a bottom-feeding pervert, when he could ably afford the very best (and safest)?
The Marxists conveniently IGNORE the attempted assassination of a SCOTUS judge after the open threat by Schumer, the vicious attack on Rubio’s staffer, the shooting of a pro-life canvasser, and the ongoing vandalism of pro-life centers! Only DIMMs are worthy of protection, huh?
The blame from the Lying Left, goes on and on and on, its time everybody takes a deep breath and reflect back to the day when old hatchet face Maxine Waters stood on the street corner and proceeded to tell the crowd to find Republicans and get in their faces at Airports, Restaurants on the Street, and look at the attacks on Congressman Steve Scalise, and Sen. Rand Paul, and the Democrats and the News Media and the Democrats were ok with those attacks. The Left only show outrage when it’s them that are the victims.
Here is my thought, let us all left, right or in the middle denounce all attacks before someone gets killed.
To the Democrats being some solid ideas about building America and Protecting the Constitution to the table not your hatred!
Too many facts are missing (or “adjusted”). Where was the security the Pelosi’s supposedly have round-the-clock? The SF police arrived within minutes of the 911 call … rather fast for understaffed maligned police force. Initially it was reported a third person opened the door when police knocked; now the narrative states no third person. So, what’s fact and what’s fiction?
I wish every AMERICAN could read and understand the importance of this article.WE the people must be United not divided on the above principles.
Honestly, the details we have received regarding this “attack” are rather fishy if you ask me. I wonder if we’ll ever get the real story.
Violence is what the Democrats have sown and now some are beginning to reap their rewards!
Great post, RCB!
I am sorry but based on the facts provided ( of which the tale keeps changing) I have no sympathy for what occurred. Considering that we, regular citizens, who don’t have private security on call, have to rely on our own personal sense in dealing with people with whom we interact and are expected to be tolerant of abnormal behaviors lest we be perceived as judgmental. The fact that this individual was inside the personal residence and the two of them were interacting says a great deal, especially since the residence is inside a gated community which means all entry is monitored and approved by an accepted visitor list at the gatehouse. The timing of this “attack “ is too conveniently close to the actual election. How many more “ radical events “ are going to occur.
As far as Mr. Pelosi, where’s the photos and actual doctor reports and why isn’t Nancy by his side monitoring his recovery. Or is this marriage just “ In name only “
A Conservative Aide gets Beaten BADLY and DICTATOR Beijing biden and SWAMP QUEEN pelosi say NOTHING.
SWAMP QUEEN pelosi’s husband gets attacked while they HARBOR a
ILLEGAL ALIEN and they WHINE.
Very disappointed in a few comments on FOX news the last couple of days. This attack was wrong in all shape & form on an 82-year old man, & the public rhetoric that condones violence against others that you do not agree with must stop. People that are elected to office should not have to fear for their safety, or soon we will not have any good candidates.
Watching CNN news today & one person stated that when intruder raised hammer —- police should have blown him to smithereens. Agree, would have gotten this person off the street , out of courts, maybe home/meals in prison for 50-years —and more important the 82-year old victim would not be in hospital. On the bad side, there would have been people that have condemned the police. America must start defending the police and not the villans.
Nancy should have been the one hit. Kyle L.
Amen
This is BS! Both men were found in their underwear and both had hammers! DePape is in the hospital. Sounds like a lover’s quarrel to me. He has pleaded not-guilty to all the charges. He will be railroaded into pleading guilty to something.
Achieves Nothing & hurts Ones “cause”