Readers might note that in an IJN story about two “Boogaloo Bois” members arested for attempting to give material support to Hamas, the following sentence was included, as proof of their jihadist, violent, anti-American activity:
“They are also members of a subgroup of the movement called the ‘Boojahideen,’ a play on the Arabic words mujahideen, which means jihadists. According to the statement, a witness saw [Michael Robert] Solomon [one of the arrestees] openly carrying firearms in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd in May.”
Here is vivid proof of the bias that infects news reporting, public perception and police practice today. All regard it as clear evidence of criminal intent when a jihadist, an alleged supporter of Hamas, is spotted “carrying firearms in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd in May.” Yes, this is clear evidence. It is dangerous. It is illegal. It is just the type of activity that the FBI should pursue and stop, and just the type of activity that any witness should find appalling.
But last May in Minneapolis, was this type of activity limited to Michael Robert Solomon? In fact, was it not, following the death of George Floyd, the type of activity that was undertaken by hundreds of other people, who burned down a 10-mile stretch of Minneapolis? In fact, were not these other people spared prosecution, and even extended not only legal but moral impunity? Was not the violence of these mobs excused or minimized to the vanishing point?
Criminal prosecution — and public demand for criminal prosecution — should be non-partisan. We praise the government for pursuing supporters of Hamas and other dangerous criminals on that side of the political spectrum. Let the government track down and arrest every last one of them. Let it equally track down and arrest anyone on the other side of the political spectrum. Let that spectrum’s violent or illegal activities, such as “openly carrying firearms,” or such as openly setting fire to, or otherwise destroying or damaging hundreds of properties, be equally stigmatized, equally denounced, equally perceived as subversive of America.
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