Double Standard: Pro-Life Activists Could Get 11 Years In Prison For Protesting Abortion Clinic
One of the surest signs that a society is falling into authoritarianism is the development of double standards in law enforcement and criminal prosecution in the name of political division. When laws are created or used to target one political group above another, and those people are consistently punished by officials more harshly than other groups who commit similar offenses, then your nation is on a fast-track to Orwell's Animal Farm.
In other words, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others...”
We have seen numerous instances of these double standards in US courts in the past few years. For example, the entirety of the January 6th response was an attempt to falsely portray an unarmed protest (which capitol police attacked with rubber bullets and tear gas grenades until people reacted violently) as an “insurrection.”
More recently we have seen Michael Cassidy, the man who knocked down a satanic statue in the Iowa capitol building, charged with a “hate crime” even though satanists are not a victim status group and they often deny they are a religion. Keep in mind that leftist activists have spent the better part of the past several years destroying statues of historic figures as well as destroying biblical symbols. To this day very few leftists have been charged with a crime for these actions, let alone a hate crime.
This week, six pro-life activists were prosecuted and convicted under a little known federal law called the “FACE Act” for blocking entrances to an abortion clinic in Tennessee in 2021. Protesters performed a “sit-in” and sang hymns until they were removed by police. Using the FACE Act, prosecutors turned the case into a federal matter carrying felony charges. The activists could be sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison for protesting. Here is what they are guilty of doing...
BREAKING: Six pro-life activists were just found guilty in federal court after being prosecuted by Biden's DOJ under the FACE Act for protesting outside a Nashville abortion clinic.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 30, 2024
Here's a snippet of the protest, which occurred on March 5, 2021.
For the crime of praying and… pic.twitter.com/UPzZvtZebM
Truly terrifying. Compare this to the multiple mob events and more violent measures used by leftist activists at government buildings and private businesses in just the past couple years. This behavior has included attacking people entering and leaving establishments as well as vandalizing property.
Supreme Court Justices dealt with a host of threats from pro-abortion activists in 2022 and 2023. This included protests outside their homes and even the attempted assassination of Brett Kavanaugh after rumors leaked that the SC was considering overturning Roe v. Wade. Leftists groups and the media widely defended this behavior as justified.
And let's not forget the unchecked aggression of Pro-Palestinians protesters using intimidation tactics outside of private businesses. Where are the harsh sentences for these people? A majority are released if they are arrested, most are never charged.
Punishment for this behavior is rarely applied despite the fact that it happens so frequently. It is becoming obvious that a two-tier legal system is being constructed in the US right under the nose of the American public: One for leftist activists and another for the conservatives and moderates that oppose them.
This kind of disparity in prosecution and sentencing leads to a number of significant problems.
First, it encourages more crime and violence on the part of the politically protected group (leftists) because they know they can get away with it. Second, it inspires anger and animosity among the unprotected population, leading to retribution and civil unrest. Third, it creates ambiguity in law enforcement to the point that government officials start to make standards up as they go. Leftists might want to consider this final point, because it means that one day they could be hit with the same dubious treatment.
The fabric of western civilization relies on a number of tenets in order to remain intact. Yes, people should be treated as innocent until proven guilty, but the punishment must also fit the crime, and punishment must be applied fairly to all groups. When this principle is abandoned, the breakdown of the flailing society is not far behind.
People singing in front of a door does not deserve an 11 year prison sentence (or a 1 year prison sentence, for that matter). And if the purpose for this kind of aggressive prosecution is to make an example of the protesters and send a message, why hasn't a similar message been sent to leftist protesters?