All Americans were rightly sickened by the brutal death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week, President Trump says. “My administration is fully committed that, for George and his family, justice will be served. He will not have died in vain.”
Four days ago, another African-American man was killed, this time gunned down while standing outside the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Oakland, California.
Dave Patrick Underwood isn’t a household name. His death didn’t make nearly as many headlines. But his life mattered, too, and his murder should sicken every American.
Underwood was a law enforcement officer in the Federal Protective Service. He and a colleague were standing guard when the gunshots came, killing Underwood and sending his fellow officer to the hospital in critical condition. Oakland’s interim police chief says the shooting was most likely an attack that deliberately targeted uniformed officers.
All across America, violent domestic terrorists have exploited the real hurt and pain felt by thousands of peaceful protesters. The need to save innocent lives and protect our most vulnerable communities from these criminals should be obvious to every peace-loving citizen. Yet media talking heads and opportunistic politicians would rather keep exploiting fear instead of solving the problem and restoring order. That’s unacceptable.
“If a city or a state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,” President Trump said in an address last night.
Ending domestic terrorism shouldn’t be a partisan issue that Democrats leave to Republicans. Neither should loudly supporting the thousands of decent, brave law enforcement officers who put themselves on the line every night to keep us safe.
Violence against police officers is an affront to everything America stands for. Stories about the assaults against them over the past week need to be told, even if corporate media executives decide that it isn’t the “right” narrative to push:
- A Las Vegas officer is on life support after a gunshot to the head.
- Four police officers were shot last night during riots in St. Louis.
- An NYPD officer was struck by a vehicle in an apparent hit-and-run.
- Violent thugs beat a police officer on the streets of New York.
How does any of this help our nation heal from the tragedy in Minnesota?
It doesn’t. No American, from any community, should ever feel unsafe on our streets—and that includes those who risk their lives to protect us. The rule of law applies to everyone, from bad cops who abuse their power to violent rioters who attack the police.
President Trump wants justice for all, with no exceptions. The actions he announced last night will bring order to our streets and get us closer to making sure that happens.