One of the Ten Commandments says Thou Shalt Not Steal. (Exodus 20:15.) If you destroy something that private donors put up at the state Capitol, something worth $26,000, isn't that the same thing as stealing? You've certainly taken away something that wasn't yours.
What happened in Little Rock Wednesday morning was disturbing. And it appears to be a trend in American politics. It wasn't along the same lines as shooting a rifle at congressmen while they practiced baseball, but it's disturbing nonetheless. Even if you think the Capitol isn't the place for this particular monument--maybe especially if you think the Capitol isn't the place for this monument--you must be concerned by this kind of violence.
Oh, yes, it was violence, even if nobody was seriously hurt, at least physically. What else can one call a car wreck?
We'll let the legal system handle this crime. But the destruction passeth all understanding, which might be the only thing it has in common with the peace of God.
Kathy Griffin holding up the head of President Trump. Congressional candidate body-slamming a reporter. The attack in Portland. "Lock her up!" Shakespeare held hostage. Gabby Giffords. "Punch a Nazi." Mobs on campus. "Arrest climate deniers!"
What happened in Little Rock is a sign, yet another sign, that civility (and respect for laws and the legal system) is so diminished that people feel obliged to take matters into their own hands to destroy what they don't like or agree with. God help us.
Editorial on 06/29/2017