Americans must reject violence in pursuit of political goals
What a sad day for America. Today we witnessed the most violent breach of the U.S Capitol since the British burned down the White House and the Capitol on August 24,1814 in the war of 1812 — two hundred and nine years ago.
Like many Americans, I sat in stunned disbelief at the images flooding across my TV screen. Let there be no misunderstanding. Americans must always reject the resort to violence in pursuit of political goals. It is literally “un-American” to engage in, or resort to, violent disregard of the law. This is not a question of conservative vs. liberal or Democrat vs. Republican. This is right vs. wrong.
We as Americans have inherited a priceless treasure — citizenship in a Constitutional Republic governed by the rule of law which protects the individual liberties enshrined in our cherished Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, in recent months, we have seen increasing disregard for the rule of law and for the brave men and women of law enforcement.
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Today, we saw that the ‘Rule of Law’ is a precious, but fragile state of affairs and it is much easier to undermine and weaken than it is to undergird and strengthen.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether your motive for breaking the law is liberal, conservative or just a secret, deep-seated desire for anarchy (and there are always some of those amongst us ever ready to riot at the first whiff of disorder). Americans across the full spectrum of political life need to respond with one unified voice — “How dare you! You have no right to undermine and endanger our rights and freedoms by breaking the law, whatever your frustrations and grievances may be.” The reign of the rule of law over the tyranny of the mob must be the priority of every American who cherishes our unique heritage.
Our Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful redress of grievances, not violent protest. Each of us has a sacred obligation to protect that right and pass it on, unsullied and undiminished, to our children and our grandchildren.
Dr. Richard Land, a prominent voice on Christian ethics in both academia and the media, explores many other timely and critical topics in his daily radio feature, “Bringing Every Thought Captive,” as well as in his weekly column for The Christian Post, where he serves as an executive editor.
Read more here about Southern Evangelical Seminary and SES President Dr. Richard Land, as well as his radio feature, “Bringing Every Thought Captive,” which airs on nearly 800 stations nationwide.
