Left-wing violence rears its ugly head in Sacramento. But don’t you dare criticize it
By: Gil Duran (The Sacramento Bee)
But, but, but ...
Joe Biden chided that this is an idea, not an organization. And democracy is the marketplace of ideas.
So, whose idea was this? And why aren't they held accountable?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
They’re angry, delusional and driven by disinformation. They consider violence a legitimate tool for pushing their fringe radical politics.
I’m not talking about anti-vaxxers, Proud Boys or Trump Republicans this time. I’m talking about Sacramento’s increasingly destructive leftist anarchist-socialist set. On Saturday, a group of them terrorized Mayor Darrell Steinberg and his wife at their home. They hurled rocks and chanted the names of the Steinbergs’ children.
A community would normally respond by denouncing such violence. Yet some of the loudest voices in Sacramento politics remained ominously silent on Monday. After I called out this silence on Twitter — and specifically asked outspoken Democratic Socialist Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela for comment — I learned why.
Leftist trolls swarmed my account, hurling middle-school insults and accusations. Some called for The Sacramento Bee to fire me. I laughed and started taking notes for a column. But not everyone has a thick skin and a big platform.
Later on Monday, a local activist named Caity Maple denounced the violence on Facebook.
“Last night the Mayor’s home was vandalized and his family threatened,” she wrote. “I don’t always agree with our elected officials on policy, but I respect them as human beings. If I disagree with their performance, I will organize and vote them out.”
“This is not the way,” she added.
Her post drew over 140 likes. Then out came the leftist bully brigade.
“Protesting is supposed to be invasive, otherwise it’s too easy to ignore,” wrote Micah Kearns.
“He should be in prison for manslaughter,” wrote David FM Jackson. “Hard to muster much sympathy for him.”
“He’s lucky they didn’t bulldoze it,” wrote Paul Porter.
“I feel like ‘violence’ requires a living target, and that vandalism isn’t violence,” wrote Michelle McNeill.
“(N)ot this liberal ass status,” wrote Ayotunde Khyree Ikuku.
Most stunning, however, was the response from Dr. Flojaune Cofer, chair of the Measure U Advisory Committee. The committee, whose members are appointed by the City Council, makes recommendations about how the city should spend the proceeds of a sales tax increase Steinberg won in 2018.
“I think those of us with extreme privilege should be very careful about telling other folks what is the ‘right way,’” wrote Cofer in a 269-word response to Maple. “Candidly put: that isn’t our place.”
Cofer compared criticism of the vandals who stormed Steinberg’s home to criticism leveled at abolitionists and civil rights activists in past eras.
“We have to be very careful not to tone police the oppressed,” wrote Cofer, effectively shushing Maple.
The effort to re-educate Maple was complete. The pressure forced her to genuflect to the absurd dictates of a weaponized wokeness in which denouncing violence is now an offensive expression of “privilege.” She updated her post with a preface that softened her statement and thanked Cofer for correcting her.
Never mind that the people who stormed the mayor’s house were likely not homeless. Never mind that public officials can be challenged through democratic means. Never mind that attacking anyone’s home is a crime. When the shock troops of the loose-screw left terrorize the city’s top leader, you’d best just keep your mouth shut.
What a joke. In a city where Steinberg just got re-elected with 77% of the vote, he — not the local chapter of the Junior Maoists of America — represents public consensus. Like January’s Trumpist assault on our democracy, the attack on Steinberg’s home represents a disturbing new political trend: extremist factions using violence and intimidation to undermine democracy.
“This was not protest,” said Steinberg in a statement. “This was anarchy. You want to challenge me, challenge me at City Hall. Challenge me in the community. Challenge me at the ballot box. Violence and destruction has never been and never will be acceptable.”
Right-wing extremists pose a bigger threat on the national level, but this small Sacramento faction has become increasingly dangerous. Former Councilman Steve Hansen, who lost the District 4 seat to Valenzuela last year, said activists had previously harassed him at his home and put a threatening note in his mailbox. In June, black-clad vandals hijacked Black Lives Matter protests and tore a path of destruction through central Sacramento. In July, vandals set off firecrackers and threw red paint on the homes of City Council members Angelique Ashby and Jay Schenirer.
It’s not unusual for radical groups to do shocking things. It’s disturbing, however, when seemingly normal people suddenly defend this as acceptable behavior — or remain silent about it.
When Republicans stormed the U.S. Capitol last month, I blasted GOP legislators for their silence. That’s why I felt it was important to ask Councilwoman Valenzuela, who is openly allied with Cofer and Sacramento’s leftist groups, for comment. The lefty Twitter squad assailed my inquiry as sexist and unprofessional, but I persisted.
Most of the other council members I contacted readily decried the attack. Yet Valenzuela — who regularly calls out perceived wrongs, slights or microaggressions — had little to say.
After someone tweeted a picture of offensive graffiti in a local park on Thursday morning, Valenzuela responded within 20 minutes, calling it “abhorrent.” But when I asked her on Monday for a comment on the violence targeting Steinberg, she replied after a few hours to say she did not have a “prepared statement.”
When I asked why a public official needed a prepared statement to denounce violence, she responded: “Of course I don’t think violence is ever OK.”
It was her only public acknowledgment of the incident. If not for my question, I doubt she would have mentioned it at all. After all, she doesn’t want to get mobbed like Maple — or upset her political base.
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Just another normal day in America with another impressive display of democracy in the marketplace of ideas.
Yes it's sad even horrible that some people have taken to violence to try to get their way.
Some people need to be lead away from this type of getting their way.
trump is included.
trump was supposedly a leader of men. IMO: he blew it !
And Shit always rolls downhill.
These are far left protesters. When has the far left listened to Trump?
Violent protests, such as this one, began on Obama's watch. Remember the violent Ferguson protests in 2014?
Began America. Yep Violent protests, they've been around long before trump or Obama were even born.
Once we the people established a nation with our own constitution as far as I know we have never had a leader this much involved with a violent uprising or protest as trump was in what happened on the 6th.
When leaders ... the president is involved in violent uprisings that is an example many will follow.
Unfortunately, I look for this crap to continue from both irrational far wing radicals on both the left and the right.
It sucks cause I'm mix of both, an independent moderate so I don't agree with the violence of either right or left wing nutjob radicals.
Oh for god's sake Nerm, didn't you teach history?
When did violent protests begin? Please answer honestly without modern partisan BS.
The article is a bitch fest by an angry writer.
He's so angry he missed the point of the protest.
Even though Sacramento homeless deaths dropped below 100 in 2020,
two recent deaths were the focal point when city officials failed to open emergency shelters in a major winter storm.
People were pissed. Conservatives and liberals alike. Email traffic and text messages to the Bee prove nothing except the writer's bias.
In a weekend fill of stupid comments about the Impeachment,
yours takes the cake for being the most ludicrous.
Even the American Revolution was violent protest by the political left. Throughout American history hasn't the political left been responsible for more violent protest than the political right?
When leaders ignore violent protests, aren't they complicit in allowing the violence to escalate and encouraging acceptance of the violence as normal political activity?
Steve, hold to your stance. You are in balance. It is these 'incendiary language" provocateurs who only seek to 'say' enough to slant news that are the real problem. What this jerk who penned the original content using political "hate" rhetoric cares about the whole story is in the low percentages. These people just throw "excited rhetoric" at the public.
Check out the video @4, please. I am not fully comprehending this loosely put together issue. But, every little bit helps in getting closer to a fuller understanding.
IMO: YES
What was considered liberal ideology 240 years ago would be far right today.
True to a degree but reality also has changed since.
And I for one still are not of the mind that I want a president who tells me he is president instead of the voters controlling who is the president.
It is obviously Bidens fault that Sacramento did not open their warming center....
This is the 'aftermath' decision following the incident you are 'reporting' on. Sorry, for the deaths and activity at the mayor's home.
Mayor's home pics: