On the heels of their summer convention, Democratic leaders passed a resolution to support the Black Lives Matters movement and condemn American police officers. The very next day, movement protesters marched in Minnesota, chanting death threats against police, shouting “pigs in a blanket, fry ‘em like bacon.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be appalled by such violent and intemperate language, and Americans should be appalled by the Democrat Party’s support for the Black Lives Matter mob.
From Baltimore to Beverly Hills, this movement has incited violence, chaos and disrespect. It’s time for President Obama and the Democratic Party to stop pandering to a movement that riots and supports violence against police. How many law enforcement deaths will it take for the political class to stand with the people who put their lives on the line to keep us safe?
A very small minority of police officers certainly abuse their power, and when they do, they should be punished accordingly. But most police officers are overworked and underpaid public servants, and take risks that most of us would run from. These heroes are the thin blue line that separates our safety from total anarchy.
When I was governor, I carried out the death sentence of 16 criminals, more than any other governor in our state’s history. These were the most difficult decisions I have made in my life, but I had months to pore over all the evidence, ask questions, and carefully deliberate. I had the luxury of time to review each case with meticulous precision.
When a police officer knocks on a front door late-at-night or approaches a vehicle on the side of a dirt road, they have no idea what to expect or anticipate. They make split-second decisions. Most often, these encounters are uneventful. But in the face of real danger, an officer who fails to respond quickly or decisively may never see his or her family again. The stakes are high. Law enforcement officers deserve our appreciation and admiration — not our condemnation.
President Obama assumed office and I genuinely hoped he would use his presidency to unify America. But under his watch, racial riots and rampages have only grown worse. Black lives matter because ALL lives matter. Haven’t we learned from history? It would be very helpful for our president to state the obvious.
From the child in the womb to the dying adult in a hospital bed, life has intrinsic value. Whether black, white, brown, young or old, ALL lives matter. It’s time we stop burning cars, shooting cops, and recognize that life is a gift from God.
I grew up with holes in my shoes attending grade school with children that had much more than me. My mother taught me that no one was better than me, but I wasn’t better than anyone else.
I was raised in the segregated south. I have seen the “whites only” water fountains with my own eyes. Racism is a wound that runs deep in our country, and it’s a shameful stain on our history. Racism exists because we have a sin problem in America, not a skin problem. It’s the result of the sin of pride believing oneself to be better than another.
As a country, we have witnessed fire-hosings, whippings, boycotts, marches and martyrs. Dr. King himself was assassinated. He died, but his dream didn’t. Others were killed and their deaths never earned a news headline.
And when you elevate the life or death of anyone because of their race, you demean and diminish all those who shed blood to overcome racism.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is a 2016 Republican candidate for president of the United States.