Goodbye Peace & Love. Hello Violence & Vandalism.
See something you don’t like? Something make you unhappy? Break it.
The Peace & Love crowd of the 1960s and 70s has fully-morphed into the Smash & Grab caucus. Many of them now dress in all black, mask their faces, and call themselves “antifa”. That’s short for “anti-fascist” (or communist, to you and me).
They tried to literally destroy DC during President Trump’s inauguration. They’ve assaulted people who dare to wear pro-Trump hats and attend pro-Trump meetings. 
Locally, they’re into attacking statues — inanimate objects. Not long ago, a mob of these folks destroyed a war memorial in front of the Durham courthouse. After years of caterwauling about an on-campus statue memorializing UNC students who died in The Civil War, these maniacs have decided to trash the statue.
In the UNC case, the drivebys have been basically BEGGING for someone to tear the statue down. The edu-crats have contributed to the crime with their dishonest portrayal of The Civil War. *Stoke that anger, and then point out something to break.*
Masked vigilantes prowling the state enacting and enforcing their own political agenda with violence and vandalism was a problem we successfully dealt with in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I don’t know how ANYONE can say its return is a good thing.
The silence about these folks from alleged mainstream Democrats is troubling. Is it now socially acceptable to go destroy something that upsets you personally?
Let’s say some folks troubled by the late Josephus Daniels’s support of the KKK decide to tear down his statue in Nash Square Park in Raleigh? What if some folks, angered by the N&O’s history of supporting white supremacy and the Klan, decide to vandalize or burn down the paper’s office building? Where does it stop?
Mob rule is par for the course in Third World autocratic societies. We have elections and built-in checks and balances to address our concerns.
It’s been said that, if you don’t learn from history, you’re doomed to repeat it. An awful lot of stuff I’m seeing out there is looking quite familiar.
When we have alleged intellectuals, alleged thought leaders, and politicians making excuses for this garbage, you begin to realize that we are truly experiencing the decline and fall of The American Experiment.
We have elections and built-in-unconstitutional gerrymandering to keep a GOP super majority in place circumventing the needs of its constituents.
There is a difference between a map drawn to confer political advantage and an outright gerrymander which we had prior to 2010. The latter refers to asymmetrical, even grotesquely shaped boundaries and we haven’t had those lately, with the notable exception of several congressional districts drawn such as to comply with Federal law.
The anarchy we saw last night by a mob in Chapel Hill cannot be tolerated. A governor who will not make a strong statement to this effect should not be tolerated.
I totally agree. We also shouldn’t tolerate a governor who is not elected by 90,000 ballots that are “found” in the most radical leftist county in the state but we see where we are now.
Roy “Taliban” Cooper only issued a tweet that he was glad none of the racist thugs who toppled the statue were injured. Was a disgrace to our state and its history
Governor Cooper also conveyed that violent destruction of public property has no place in our communities.
How about prosecution for their crimes. Oh yeah, laws aren’t for the far left.
That is why the police and SBI are working together.
With all the pictures that show faces and the interviews where they gave names, the thugs can be found if there is a desire to find them. Not only do they need to be charged criminally, but they need to be expelled permanently from the university. If the university fails to do that, heads should roll in the university administration.
This is what the low life communist hyenas think of the memory of UNC students that died in the Civil War. Seeing such an atrocity committed, with the tacit approval of Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein, makes me ashamed to be a North Carolinian.
At least nobody was harmed let alone killed as happened in Charlottesville last year – at the hands of White supremacists.
Oh no, we wouldn’t want the vandals getting hurt while they destroyed property.
Of course not. We want them healthy to stand trial. That is the humane way.
Maybe they’ll give Loan Tran a medal this time.
Well…John…..what are the Republicans going to do about the terrorism at UNC? The GOP controls the legislature and the Board of Governors, as well as the UNC-CH trustee board. They could order the monument put back up tomorrow. Is the GOP going to surrender to Antifa, the Communist Workers’s Party, and all the assorted radicals on the UNC campus?
We need to demand either action to identify and vigorously prosecute the vandals responsible for this outrageous attack on our heritage and our free speech, or we need to demand resignations from UNC administrators and board members, including the BOG. This cannot stand in a free society. This mob has the same mentality as Kristalnacht in Nazi Germany.
Agree with you John Blust. On Mark Levins show Sunday night I think Tom Coburn rightfully articulated an abbreviation of a national problem that we are all exposed to. That being too much fear and not enough courage. Wasn’t enough to save a statue, was it? Pitiful to the point of nausea. And ANGER!!! DAMNIT!!!!
Browny Douglas
The UNC-CH trustees and the BOG members all took an oath to uphold the law. If they do not order the veterans’ monument put back up, they should all resign or be removed from office. It’s just that simple–it would be official malfeasance. Can’t blame this on the Democrats–the GOP completely controls the UNC trustee board and the Board of Governors. It’s a Republican decision at this point in time. Hold them accountable.
John Blust: Will you answer my question? Are the Republican-controlled UNC Boards going to order the veterans’ memorial reinstalled? If not, will the Republican legislature remove them for malfeasance? This is not up to the Democrats–this is pure and simple a Republican issue at this point in time. What are you going to do other than just rant and rave? Man up!!
The 1st Amendment of the Constitution says in part “…..the right to assemble peaceably…..”. Any demonstration causing damage, violence or obstruction is a violation of the 1st Amendment and a crime.
The city’s Mayor has the duty to instruct his police force to arrest all those involved immediately!
The investigation is under way and includes the SBI.
Duh, remember Durham?
I do remember Durham. I guess the County Sheriff did not have a good case against those he had arrested.
Well, NO, it was a crooked leftwing DA who let the commu niusts responsible off. Heck, it was all on video – an airtight case..
They bragged about it on tape.
Most of the above comments are dead on. This is vandalism, mob rule, inciting a riot, disorderly conduct, destruction of state property, etc. Yes they should be arrested, all that can be identified. This COULD have been far worse. The mob could have started fires, attacked dorms or other buildings, lots of people could have gotten hurt. This activity demands the same reaction as a school shooting situation would demand.
Here’s the problem, when they all go to court they will get a slap on the wrist and have bragging rights.
What NEEDS to happen is the university needs to at least surely suspend, probably expel the culprits. Let their scholarship money fly away, or their mommies’ and daddies’ money fly away. All the prep, moving, furnishings, and effort–shot to hell on the first day of school.
Teach them part of what college is SUPPOSED to teach them. You are more responsible for your own actions now.
You don’t see this crap going on at vocational schools, technical colleges, etc. People there are there usually for the right reasons. To learn a career, better themselves or their family. And many sacrifice a lot to do so.
Whatever the law/court does, the school should act independently using the handbook, student code, honor court, or just its inherent power to take swift strong action to deter further acts like this. They should make a statement by their action to protect the school, and schools everywhere.
Parents should be demanding accountability. Alumni should be demaning accountability. If left unchecked, worse is coming.
All you UNC alums out there, when the usual and perpetual fundraising hits your inbox or mailbox. Just drop a note in response that you are unhappy with the current inaction by the folks in charge and maybe when the statue is replaced and those punished, you will turn back on the spigot.
Finally, I am a parent who has seen three kids finish college. If I learned that one of mine was involved, I would be in full support of some kind of punishment. I might even remove my kid myself. Put them in community college or go to work. Let them have to explain to their peers why they killed the golden goose. I also would make them approach the school and contribute earnings toward the damage.
What’s next? Defacing buildings, tearing down street signs, looting the State Museums?
Today, the school needs to use their mass text and email ability to all students to make a statement announcing their intention to expel any student participation in any activity of this sort. If not, the ingrates got away with it.
We need a thorough prosecution of the vandals involved, not a travesty of justice as happened in Durham with a politically corrupt prosecutor and judge who let the communist vandals off with a slap on the wrist. The sheriff in Durham did his job by arresting those involved on felony charges, but the crooked prosecutor let us down. To get away from crooked leftwing prosecutors in Chapel Hill, these cases should have venue changed to somewhere like Randolph or Alamance counties.
THose who perpetrated this crime need a good long prison sentence.
A ” good long prison sentence” after a thorough ass whupping!!!!
Browny Douglas
Okay Republicans—it’s time to act! You control the legislature, the UNC trustee board, and the UNC Board of Governors. Order the veterans’ monument put back up tomorrow! If you fail to act, you can’t blame this on the Democrats. People like the hypocrite Rep. John Blust rant and rave but that accomplishes nothing–and he knows it. The GOP has the votes. Use them!!
Were the police chaperoning the mob?
Omg. I just saw video of UNC statue incident??. It is an outrage that UNC campus cops did not shut it down b4 it got to that point. UNC is N.C. tax supported school?? These punks r clueless. Shame in UNC authority for not doing the right thing.
Heads need to roll among the campus police. And in the administration if this is not very firmly dealt with.
Safety of violent thugs should not be a concern. Skulls need to be cracked to stop this vandalism if that is necessary, but in realkity tear gas and pepper spray should do the trick.
It’s going to take courage at all levels to RIGHT this WRONG. It will be interesting to see who has courage and who does not. Who’s compass is calibrated and who’s is not.