What’s Happening:
For weeks, Americans have watched rioters and so-called peaceful protesters tear up statues and monuments. At first, they called for the destruction of Confederate statues. But very quickly, as many people warned, it seems some of these groups have been willing to deface or tearing down many other memorial, statue, and historical monuments in their sight.
Vandals have even defaced the Lincoln Memorial and the WWII memorial in D.C. Last night, they attacked St. John’s Church for a second time and attempted to pull down a statue of Andrew Jackson.
Now, the president is warning what might happen, if anyone defaces monuments on federal property.
President Trump declared Tuesday morning that anyone caught vandalizing monuments or any other federal property can be subject to arrest and face up to 10 years in prison…
“This action is taken effective immediately, but may also be used retroactively for destruction or vandalism already caused. There will be no exceptions!”
Democrats at the local and federal levels have appeared to cheer on the destruction of historical statues. As if cowering to the mobs, they have promised to remove statues of American icons, including Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt. The goal appears not to just erase America’s history of slavery, but anything that does not conform to the mobs’ Marxist agenda.
(Statues of communists and socialists have largely been untouched.)
President Trump is citing a federal law that punishes veteran memorials with ten years in prison. By including “any monument,” Trump is suggesting his administration will prosecute anyone who vandalizes a monument, regardless of if it’s specifically a veteran memorial.
Some critics have wondered why Trump has appeared slow to end the violent protests, riots, and vandalism. Others point out that it’s the local government’s responsibility to enforce the law and combat crime. Those cities faced with the worst outbursts of violence and unrest are run by Democrat leaders. Although Trump has called on them (including the mayor of D.C. and Seattle) to end the violence, they appear to ignore it or outright encourage it.
This statement from Trump is a warning, but perhaps also a signal that he is done waiting for Democrats to do the right thing.
Key Takeaways:
- Rioters have been destroying national monuments across the country.
- President Trump vowed to arrest and prosecute vandals, punishing them with 10 years in jail.
- The Veteran’s Memorial Preservation Act provides up to 10 years in prison for defacing a veteran monument.
Source: Fox News
