Why Staying Silent is not Civil — It’s Being Complicit

By Jami Ingledue — BEHIND DOMESTIC LINES

Do not tell me that “both sides need to be civil.”

Do not equate our hatred of their racism and bullying and their calls to violence with their ACTUAL hatred and racism and bullying and calls to violence. Protesting hate and violence is not the same as hate and violence. I am so sick of these false equivalencies.

No one on the left is doing all of this like those in Trump’s camp. Hillary Clinton saying “it’s not the time for civility” is not the same as saying there are “good people” marching with torches in race riots, surrounding a black church. Interrupting Mitch McConnell’s dinner to publicly tell him he should be ashamed of himself is not the same as sending pipe bombs to people you disagree with. Putting politeness aside so we can stop our country’s slide into fascism is akin to screaming “fire” to get people to notice. You don’t blame the person for yelling too loudly. And you don’t say they are the same as the people starting the fires.

I completely respect the views of traditional conservatives, and I’m happy to have a civil exchange with them. But this is not traditional conservatism we’re dealing with. As many, many traditional conservatives have pointed out.