So many people say it’s okay for Antifa to beat people they don’t like. Tim Cook says it. Mitt Romney says it. It’s easy to agree with them. It’s easy to say, “I hate racists and Nazis. I’m glad somebody’s taking the initiative and beating them with clubs.”
Many people feel that way. Many people feel it’s good and just to beat and maim wicked people. Especially people who hold wicked beliefs. It’s easy say, “we should declare open season on those skinheads and Nazi racists.” You might have said it yourself.
I know the feeling. Back in 2010, some skinheads and Nazis showed up at a St. Louis Tea Party event in Clayton. We had to humiliate them with signs. The Tea Party was non-violent, so no one laid a hand on them. But we walked around them with signs that said “Fake Tea Partier” and stuff.
Reporters from RFT and St. Louis Post-Dispatch may have paid those Nazis to show up at our event. So the press could photograph them. The Post and RFT really wanted everybody to believe that we were racists and Nazis. They couldn’t get us to say anything racist, because we’re not. So maybe they resorted to going to Rent-a-Nazi. To frame us.
But it didn’t work. Big Government told us how to prepare. We were too smart for the Post. We had signs ready. We surrounded their hired stooge with “Fake Tea Partier” and “Nazi Infiltrator” signs. The signs had arrows that pointed at the stooge. We surrounded their stooge. You couldn’t take a photo of their Nazi stooge without also getting a “Fake Tea Partier” sign in the shot. It was brilliant.
Finally, the Nazi stooge, or Nazi impersonator, left in humiliation. I think Hoft mocked him from the stage. Everybody cheered. From The Gateway Pundit, April 16, 2010:
The sign pointing down at the white supremist [sic] plant was from the Big Government tool kit. It came in handy. The infiltrator scurried off after he was confronted by several patriots including local blogger Adam Sharp who got up in his face. “Just know that you’re not going to come here and pretend that you’re with us.” Adam told the plant. Adam was fearless. The hater left shortly after the confrontation. Adam’s parting words… “GO HOME NAZI.”
Here’s Adam Sharp’s post. And video:
The sad thing is, Lindsey Graham and Mitt Romney and Tim Cook would be happy if Antifa beat up us Tea Partiers. Because Graham, Romney, and Cook think Tea Partiers are all Nazis. Or they’re afraid to disagree with alt-left thugs who might beat their lilly-white asses.
The problem with unleashing goons to beat the wicked is that the goons get to decide who’s wicked and who’s not. Tea Partiers don’t go to events that welcome Nazi and white supremacists. Or black supremacists. Or any other kind of supremacists. Except, maybe, idea supremacists. We’d welcome groups that wanted great ideas to win.
But Antifa treats libertarians and Republicans and Tea Partiers as one big blob of Nazis. The Post-Dispatch’s editorial board does, too. And if society says it’s okay for Antifa to beat people Antifa doesn’t like, you and I and millions of others are fair game. Hell, I might as well wear a “Kick me, I’m a Tea Partier” sign.
Before you say “hell, yes” to beating up people you disagree with, remember this: the beaters are the judges. The beaters are the jury. The beaters are the executioners. You don’t get a veto. You don’t get a vote. They’ll beat whoever they damn well please.
If you found yourself cheering for Antifa to beat a Nazi, you should forgive yourself. It’s sort of a natural reaction. We wanted to beat up that Nazi in 2010, too.
But before you sign a petition to let Antifa free the land of racists and Nazis, consider this: you might be on their list of racists and Nazis. Along with your spouse, your kids, and your parents.
Beating up people who disagree with you is a fascist tactic. Fascism is colorblind.
Vigilantism doesn’t end racism. It ends civilization.