The Founding Fathers aimed to ensure our liberty under law, in conformity with the “laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Natural law refers to the moral law the Creator has impressed upon the world. For example, Samuel Adams once wrote: “Thou shall do no injury to thy neighbor, is the voice of nature and reason, and it is confirmed by written revelation.”
But today, we see a lot of anarchy in the streets. Some of it is spontaneous, perhaps. But recent reports indicate that organizations are behind the funding of paid protesters for the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
It’s interesting to note how some of the key goals of the Constitution include to:
“establish Justice,
“insure domestic Tranquility
“provide for the common defense.”
But the violence in the streets works against these goals.
We saw that rioting began in Los Angeles. When ICE planned to arrest some alleged criminals, who are not only here illegally but are also alleged to have committed serious crimes, there was pushback from many protesters. They have burned the cars of the police or ICE agents. President Trump called in the National Guard and even several hundred Marines.
Then, over the weekend, there were many protests in various places around the country against President Trump. They called this the “No Kings” movement, as if the president was acting like a king. Generally, these protests did indeed appear to be “mostly peaceful.”
The major bone of contention seems to be how to deal with the millions of illegal immigrants who poured through the previous administration’s porous borders.
Many on the left see themselves as being compassionate in their stance on behalf of illegal immigrants, even those who may have committed heinous crimes while here in America.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz told the graduating class of the University of Minnesota last month: “Donald Trump’s modern-day Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets. … They’re in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons.”
You see, to the left, Waltz is compassionate. Trump is tyrannical. Other sanctuary politicians smugly feel the same.
But such “compassion” is compassion run amok. The great British Christian writer, G.K. Chesterton, wrote about that notion in his 1908 book, “Orthodoxy.” He argued against taking Christian virtues – like compassion – out of their context and turning them on their heads.
Here’s a portion of what Chesterton wrote: “When a religious scheme is shattered … it is not merely the vices that are let loose. The vices are, indeed, let loose, and they wander and do damage. But the virtues are let loose also; and the virtues wander more wildly, and the virtues do more terrible damage.”
What does he mean? He means that, divorced from their Christian framework, “virtues” become wrong and vice versa. He goes on, “The modern world is full of the old Christian virtues gone mad. The virtues have gone mad because they have been isolated from each other and are wandering alone. Thus some scientists care for truth; and their truth is pitiless. Thus some humanitarians only care for pity; and their pity (I am sorry to say) is often untruthful.”
Compassion without justice – and at the cost of others – is not compassionate.
In the name of compassion, the left is going to the mat for drug cartels, human traffickers, kidnappers, rapists, murderers and so on.
Being a “sanctuary city” or a “sanctuary state” sounds so noble and kind. But is it?
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., grilled New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week in a brilliant tour de force. She asked the governor if she had heard of this person or that. Each of them were victims (in one case, fatally) of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, thanks to the “sanctuary” policy of New York. The governor’s response was a bland, “refresh my memory.”
So, for example, Stefanik reminded Hochul of how the undocumented Sebastian Zapete-Calil reportedly lit on fire and burned to death American Debrina Kawan, in the New York City subway system on Dec. 22, 2024. Is it compassionate to let these illegals roam our streets? Compassionate to whom? Certainly not to the victims of their crimes, nor to those who have to foot the bill for medical care, welfare and other benefits.
In the early days of the republic, our first president had to deal with an armed resistance of Pennsylvania farmers – in the Whiskey Rebellion.
This got so out of hand that the president was going to send troops to quell the insurrection. In a Proclamation dated Aug. 7, 1794, President George Washington said, “[I] do hereby command all persons, being insurgents as aforesaid … to disperse and retire peaceably to their respective abodes.” Thankfully, the rebellion soon dissipated.
The United States – then and now – stands for liberty, not anarchy.