Dear President Trump and Members of Congress:
America is founded on the rule of law. Without law, there can be no justice, and there can be no peace or prosperity. The rule of law exists not to control the people, but to empower them; not to impose the will of the State on the people, but to guarantee to all law-abiding citizens an orderly and peaceful framework in which they can exercise their rights. Every day, hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers across the country selflessly place their own lives at risk to uphold the rule of law, better their communities, and protect the most vulnerable. Their brave sacrifice builds safer and more secure communities, and they deserve our respect.
No profession is perfect, and people in every profession will always be flawed. But it is undeniable that the vast majority of law enforcement officers hold themselves to the highest of standards, in recognition of the great trust that the public has placed in them. They know that they wield great power, and they are acutely aware of the devastating consequences to innocent lives, to their communities, and to their profession if they do not meet the standards of character and conduct that are expected of them. And in the rare cases where law enforcement officers abuse their power and undermine the rule of law, such as the unjustified killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, they should be held accountable, as should everyone else in positions of public trust, from elected officials to bureaucrats.
Unfortunately, there are those who would like nothing more than to politicize those rare abuses to sow division, to undermine and destabilize the United States, and to use the coordinated chaos they create to force their agenda on unsuspecting Americans. The radical Left, the Democrats now openly admitting they are “socialists,” and the far-left terrorist groups like Antifa are seeking to do exactly that today. They foment racial division to stoke anti-American sentiment, to misinform, and to instigate and justify violent riots and looting. These are elements of the long-term, well-organized, well-funded strategy of the Marxists who seek to destroy the American way of life, fundamentally transform our system of government and silence, threaten or censor any who speak out for traditional values.
The goals of radical Leftists vary, but they all share extremist qualities and are given cover by the mainstream media: some seek radical ideas like defunding and dismantling the police altogether, while others seek a federal takeover of every State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agency in the country so they can use them to push their radical social agenda and punish their ideological adversaries. In the wake of the tragedy of George Floyd’s unjustified death, it would be easy to forget that all four police officers involved in this tragedy were quickly fired from their jobs and are now facing charges. As well-organized protestors, agitators, and politicians attempt to weaponize George Floyd’s death to demonize law enforcement, President Trump, and conservatives in general, it would be easy to forget that the Minneapolis city council and mayor—along with the district’s congresswoman, both senators, and the Minnesota governor—are Democrats.
The fact is that the far-left radicals burned and looted American cities in the name of a slogan with which virtually nobody disagrees: Of course black lives matter, but an uncontroversial slogan is not the true message of those who seek to use violence and unrest for their own purposes. The fact that the riots, mayhem and killing of innocents by mobs continued, after all four officers involved in George Floyd’s tragic death were charged with crimes, makes clear that this isn’t about George Floyd. As Congresswoman Karen Bass, a California Democrat, recently admitted, what the Left really wants is to “push the envelope as far as [it] can because we have a moment now.”
Make no mistake: What the Left is actually after is the destruction of the American way of life, a life built on the rule of law and individual freedom. They are after control by the State, and seek to destabilize the country to get there. It is ironic that the very people who seek the end of private gun ownership, claiming just weeks ago that only the police need carry weapons, now openly seek to dismantle the police. The very people who attack the idea of our military being used—as it has for hundreds of years—to supplement law enforcement and maintain order and safety during times of escalated violence, also seeks to use government power to crush and bully any who dissent from “woke” culture.
As the Left seeks to dismantle the police and weaponize the plight of vulnerable communities to justify rioting and looting, they ignore that vulnerable communities are the ones most impacted by violent crime and the ones that most need good, well-trained, well-funded law enforcement officers. They ignore that the statistics show that, despite the horrific anecdotes—and they are horrific—passed off as an “epidemic,” the race of a violent crime suspect has no effect on the likelihood that they will be fatally shot by a police officer during a confrontation.1
Of course, calls to dismantle the police aren’t their only tactic. They have enlisted the media—both traditional and social—in their quest to demonize traditional American values, they have taken over the education system to instill their propaganda, and they amplify anti-American sentiment through Hollywood celebrities and large corporations. Anyone who questions the liberal line will face censorship by Silicon Valley, anyone who refuses to be sufficiently “woke” will instead be “cancelled,” and any corporation that does not provide leftist mobs with financial support as penance for perceived sins will be boycotted, defamed or destroyed. Intimidation and mob rule is their means for their ends for America and Americans.
As leaders, we stand with law-abiding, America-loving citizens. Despite what incessant and biased media coverage might indicate, Americans overwhelmingly reject the radical ideas being exposed on the Left. According to a recent Morning Consult poll, for example, 71% of registered voters support the use of the National Guard to supplement local police forces dealing with riots and protests, while only 18% oppose such use.2 Likewise, 58% of registered voters support the use of the military to supplement local police forces, while 30% oppose—of course, you would be forgiven for thinking that wasn’t the case, if you watched the New York Times get rid of its opinion editor and reassign its deputy opinion editor last week following a “woke” meltdown over a single op-ed suggesting that the military could be used to supplement police forces in cities facing violent riots.3
We all agree that we can continue to better our police departments, along with every area of our government, but we reject the radical notion that law enforcement, or this great nation, is inherently and systemically racist or beyond repair. We reject the radical notion that defunding police departments will increase public safety.
But we support the notion of individual responsibility and freedom. We support those who insist that individuals who betray the public trust be held accountable. We recognize that most Americans merely want to get back to working hard, contributing to their communities, and getting along in peace with their neighbors. We support those who, rather than loot or burn, rather than call to destroy the police, instead help clean up their streets and remove the graffiti and destruction wrought by rioters.
In short, as Americans, we reject the insurrectionists’ attempts to destroy and destabilize our great Nation, and we support the selfless law enforcement, brave public leaders, and ordinary Americans who are willing to stand against them.
Signed,
Ed Meese, Former U.S. Attorney General
Lt. Col. Allen B. West, US Army, Ret., former Member of Congress
Bishop E.W. Jackson, Sr., President, STAND Foundation, Inc.
Hon. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Former Mayor, Cincinnati, OH
David A. Clarke, Jr., Sheriff (RET), Crime Research Center
James Golden, Founder, New Journey PAC
Star Parker, President UrbanCURE, syndicated columnist, Creators
Dr. Carol M. Swain, retired Professor of Political Science and Law, Vanderbilt University
The Hon. Bob McEwen, Retired Member of Congress
Rep. Jim Ross Lightfoot, Retired Member of Congress
Diane Black, Retired Member of Congress Steve Deace, Host, BlazeTV
Tom Fitton, President, Judicial Watch
Seth Dillon, CEO, Babylon Bee
Tim Daughtry, Ph.D., Author, Daughtry & Company
Cleta Mitchell, Esq., Partner, Foley & Lardner, LLP
Jenny Beth Martin, Honorary Chairman, Tea Party Patriots Action
Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director, Priests for Life
Rabbi Aryeh Spero, President, Caucus for America
Anne Schlafly Cori, Chairman, Eagle Forum
Colleen Holcomb, President, Eagle Forum
Eunie Smith, President Emeritus, Eagle Forum
Rick Manning, President, Americans for Limited Government
Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin (Ret.)
Morton Blackwell, President, Leadership Institute
Jim DeMint, Chairman, Conservative Partnership Institute
Dr. David Black, 2ndVote, Doctor of Legal Medicine (Toxicology)
Roger Kimball, Editor & Publisher, The New Criterion
Trevor Loudon, Filmmaker, speaker
Richard Viguerie, American Target Advertising
Kevin Freeman, Founder, NSIC Institute
Art Ally, President, Timothy Plan
Daniel Greenfield, Shillman Journalism Fellow, David Horowitz Freedom Center
Rebecca Hagelin, CEO, United in Purpose
Stuart W. Epperson, Chairman of the Board, Salem Media Group
Bill Walton, President, Council for National Policy
Glenn P. Story, Founder & President, Patriot Mobile
Stella Morabito, Author
Ginni Thomas, President, Liberty Consulting
Rod Martin, Founder & CEO, The Martin Organization, Inc.
Shawn Mitchell, Former National Chaplain, National Federation of Republican Assemblies
Foster Friess, Chairman, Friess Family Foundation
Harlan Crow, Dallas, TX
Keith E. Sirois, Chief Executive Officer, Capital Management HPP, Inc.
Ed Corrigan, President, Conservative Partnership Institute
Gary Bauer, President, American Values
Christina Murphy Lusk, Director, Campaign for the American Future
Charlie Copeland, President, Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Frank Wright, Ph.D., CEO, D. James Kennedy Ministries
Don Campion, President, Banyan Air Services, Inc.
David Kupelian, Vice President & Managing Editor, WorldNetDaily
Rod Vandenbos, CEO, VHI Inc.
Mark Meckler, President, Convention of State Action
Ann Lauthner Quest, Unity Quest
Caroline Wetherington, President, BeeLove Rescue
Jim Powers, President & CEO, J.L. Powers & Associates
Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Tim Echols, Commissioner, State of Georgia
Richard Norman, Founder & President, The Richard Norman Company
Debbie Wuthnow, President, iVoterGuide
Tim Wildmon, President, American Family Association
Amapola Hansberger, President, Legal Immigrants for America
Scott Cooper, Chairman, Edgefield County Council, South Carolina
Frank Gaffney, Executive Chairman, Center for Security Policy
Rick Scarborough, President, Recover America Now
Floyd Brown, Publisher, The Western Journal
Debbie Georgatos, Host, America, Can We Talk?
Mark Alexander, Publisher, PatriotPost.US
J. Christian Adams, President, Public Interest Legal Foundation
Penna Dexter, Co-host, Point of View radio
Justin Danhof, General Counsel, National Center for Public Policy Research
Clare Lopez, Founder/President, Lopez Liberty LLC
George K. Rasley, Jr., Managing Editor, ConservativeHQ.com
Brandon Cobbs, Office of American Innovation
Becky Gerritson, Executive Director, Eagle Forum of Alabama
Khadine Ritter, President, Eagle Forum of Ohio
Sandy Rios, Director of Governmental Affairs, American Family Association
Cynthia Dunbar, National Committeewoman (VA), RNC
Ed Kale, Principal, Carolina Income Management Group
C. Preston Noell III, President, Tradition, Family and Property, Inc.
Carroll Deuel, Vice President, Dual Controls, Inc.
Chad Connelly, President, Faith Wins
John Stemberger, President & General Counsel, Florida Family Policy Council
Guillermo J. Aragon, Chief Financial Officer, Martin Imaging, Inc.
Scott Shepard, Fellow, National Center for Public Policy Research
Troy Newman, President, Operation Rescue
Kevin Ray Lawson, CEO/Founder, Cedarstone School of Music
Charles J. Cooper, Assistant Attorney General, President Ronald Reagan
Daniel L. Montgomery, BG, USA (RET), Strategic Defense Solutions
Mark Fitzgibbons, President, Corporate Affairs, American Target Advertising
Jo-Ann Chase, Chairwoman, Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Virginia
Martha Boneta, President, Young America’s Foundation
Veso Sobot, Businessman, Sobot Management Group
Mario Navarro da Costa, Director, Washington Bureau, Tradition, Family, Property
Nicholas W. Carper, CFA, retired Principal, Mitchell, Sinkler & Starr
James N. Clymer, Chairman Elect, Constitution Party
Sherri Martin, Executive Vice President, The Martin Organization, Inc.
Haley Martin, President, The Martin Organization, Inc.
Maryann Christenson, Executive Director, Utah Eagle Forum
Sheryl Kaufman, Board of Directors, Americans for Limited Government
James Hansberger, Chairman, Legal Immigrants for America
Bobbie Patray, President Tennessee Eagle Forum
Cindi Castilla, President, Texas Eagle Forum
Gayle Ruzicka, President, Utah Eagle Forum
Pat Carlson, Eagle Forum
Rael Jean Isaac, Author
John ‘Gunny’ Hendley, President, Investment Strategies, Inc.
Chris Gilbert, Lions Club International
Dr. James Poole, Fast Brian, LLC
Peggy Dau, IranAliveMinistries
Beth Gilinsky, Founder, Grassroots Women for America
Michael J. Welborn, Board of Directors, The Next Stop
Gail Capps, President, Dallas Eagle Forum
Jim Dau, CEO, IranAliveMinistries
Jake Hoffman, President & CEO, Rally Forge
Cathie Adams, 1st VP, Eagle Forum
Organizations are for identification only