What does Ron Johnson think he’s doing?
Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) wouldn’t know a lot about patriotism. He spent Independence Day 2018 in Russia, along with seven other Republican senators. Johnson also snubbed his nose at his ailing compatriots when he recently voted against the American Rescue Plan. This senator is susceptible to outlandish conspiracy theories like those espoused by QAnon, and he’s continued giving voice to the Big Lie despite knowing that President Biden decisively and fairly won the election.
Now Sen. Johnson is showing his lack of understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement, if not showing outright racism. Black Lives Matter doesn’t condone or promote violence, and it asks only that we recognize the value of Black lives and acknowledge the evils of slavery and over 400 years of systemic injustices. Late this week, the senior senator from the Badger State spoke fondly of the violent insurgents who attacked the Capitol in January, saying on a radio talk show that he “never felt threatened.” Perhaps he didn’t feel unsafe because he was on the side of the insurrectionists.
Johnson went on to say that he’d have felt unsafe had the attackers represented Black Lives Matter. There’s a false equivalency here. BLM and protesters on the left didn’t attack the Capitol, right-wing Republicans and QAnon cultists did. Of the Capitol attackers, Johnson also said “I knew those were people that love this country, that truly respect law enforcement, would never do anything to break the law, so I wasn’t concerned.”
Maybe someone needs to let Johnson know that people who attack the Capitol don’t love this country, and that those people did indeed break the law. Sen. Johnson is up for re-election in 2022 should he decide to run again. Whatever he decides, let’s work to ensure he’s replaced with a Democrat who has their priorities in order and their facts straight.
