Just a little perspective: Remember when Donald Trump issued Executive Order 13933, “Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence?”
“Extremists have sought to advance a fringe ideology that paints the United States of America as fundamentally unjust and have sought to impose that ideology on Americans through violence and mob intimidation. They have led riots in the streets. During the unrest, innocent citizens also have been harmed and killed. These criminal acts are frequently planned and supported by agitators who have traveled across State lines to promote their own violent agenda. These radicals shamelessly attack the legitimacy of our institutions and the very rule of law itself. Key targets in the violent extremists’ campaign against our country are public monuments, memorials, and statues.”
Sec. 2. Policy. (a) It is the policy of the United States to prosecute to the fullest extent permitted under Federal law, and as appropriate, any person or any entity that destroys, damages, vandalizes, or desecrates a monument, memorial, or statue within the United States or otherwise vandalizes government property.”
The president further said that his was designed to ensure that anyone convicted of desecrating an American monument would spend 10 years in prison. So, does his executive order proclaimed on June 26, 2020 still hold? Does it apply to agitators and radicals for their behavior on Jan. 6, 2021?
Stan DunlapDurango
