Waters' Words Don't Matter as Much as Trump's
The GOP's concern about Maxine Waters' comments about Minnesota are laughable given their short memory about the former's president's incitement of the January 6 riot.
When Democratic congressperson Maxine Waters said that demonstrators should “stay in the street,” and be “more confrontational” if Derek Chauvin is found not guilty of George Floyd’s murder, the Republican Party immediately scorned her and blamed her for potential violence.
Georgia Republican congressperson Marjorie Taylor Greene is calling for Waters’ expulsion from Congress. Jim Hagedorn, a Republican congressperson from Minnesota, said
“Maxine Waters had absolutely no business coming to Minnesota and inciting violence. Her rhetoric is unacceptable for anyone.”
Even Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, a Republican who is staunchly anti-Trump, spoke out against Waters, tweeting:
“WORDS MATTER.”
Kinzinger is right. Words do matter. Saying that protestors should “stay in the street” and be “more confrontational” does not mean riots and violence. It means that anti-racists should protests vigorously. Being confrontational doesn’t automatically mean being violent. It means being consistently vocal and not being silent.
Keep in mind that except for Kinzinger, these same Republicans that are so concerned with Waters’ words seemed to be okay with the former President of the United States saying
"We fight like hell. And if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.”
Where was the GOP congress’ outrage when Trump uttered these words? I could easily quote the whole speech because it was one long, inciting lie to provoke an already frenzied mob to attack Congress.
Whatever happens in Minnesota if Chauvin is found not guilty, I’m certain we won’t have scaffolds erected to hang anyone. I’m certain that people won’t be seeking to kill anyone because Waters’ whipped them into violence.
I pray that there won’t be violence in Minnesota, but if there is, will the police be slow to mobilize like they did in DC?
Will they take their sweet time in responding with force like they did in DC?
Will they wait hours before they take complete control like they did in DC?
I wouldn’t bet on it.