Scott Tibbs
Vigilantism at best, terrorism at worst
By Scott Tibbs, July 8, 2022
As I have said before, I do not believe the 2020 election was stolen. However, there are many people of good will who do believe that either the 2020 election was stolen or that there were significant irregularities in the voting that deserve more scrutiny. Those who are seeking legal or political remedies to address those beliefs are engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment.
Intimidation, threats of violence and actual violence are not protected by our Constitution. While I understand the frustration of those who believe the election was stolen, these activities must never be tolerated. Breaking into people's homes to make a "citizen's arrest" is vigilantism at best and terrorism at worst. It is morally depraved to send obscenity filled, misogynistic and racist messages to current or former election workers, and some on the Right have shrugged their shoulders at this behavior too often. For more, see
here and
here and
here and
here and
here.
As Republicans, we need to stand against this kind of behavior. We should defend the First Amendment right to lobby elected officials, and the due process rights of the Trump campaign to challenge the results in various courts, while refusing to tolerate the kind of behavior we have seen from extremists. And no, I do not care what "Antifa" has done. I have already condemned them on many occasions, and trying to distract from violent outbursts over the 2020 election by pointing at "Antifa" will not work. That is completely irrelevant to what Trumpist extremists have done.
But there is a much deeper and infinitely more important reason to oppose this kind of extreme behavior, something I have been warning about since 2016: Idolatry. There are still people who look at Trump the way the Branch Davidians looked at David Koresh. This wicked idolatry leads to eternal damnation. No, most Trump supporters are not idolaters. Some are, and they must repent of their idolatry or face the wrath of God. Churches need to discipline this idolatry as well, even if it costs them members and money.
Democrats, however, are overplaying their hand, especially when they accuse all people challenging or questioning the legitimacy of the 2020 election of being "insurrectionists." This is especially absurd when they argue that voting not to accept certain slates of electors was an act of "insurrection." If that is true, then why does the House even vote on electors in the first place? If there is only one possible "legal" way to vote, why should there be a vote at all? This reminds me of how Saddam Hussein got 100% of the vote to be "re-elected" as leader of Iraq in 2002.
There is a very simple answer to all of this: Calm down and stop treating politics as a god. Politics is a cruel and unforgiving "god" that demands total loyalty and increasingly shrill rhetoric and actions. Neither Republicans or Democrats are the church, and their candidates are not prophets. There is only one path to salvation and eternal peace, and that is not whoever sits in the White House (or the mayor's office, or the governor's mansion) at any given time. Jesus Christ is eternally the only legitimate object of our worship. Once that is set in our minds, everything else falls into place.
Opinion Archives
E-mail Scott
Scott's Links
About the Author
ConservaTibbs.com