If You See Something, Say Something?
If You See Something, Say Something?–“Our nation once more grieves the senseless taking of life.”
by Bill Lockwood
What a tragedy in Parkland, FL! Nicolas Cruz, a 19-year-old orphan who had been kicked out of school, walks into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School with an AR-15 and calmly murders 17 people. It has been labeled the “deadliest school shooting” since Newtown, Connecticut more than five years ago. Our nation once more grieves the senseless taking of life.
At the risk of being “political” one cannot but wonder about the continual refrain from the Governor of Florida on down to local law enforcement and school officials—“if you see something, say something.” This is not to voice opposition to that but to throw a major question mark over our resolve to be consistent. In turn, this should make us question whether or not our society is serious about it at all.
From the time President Trump was inaugurated he has been opposed—not simply with political ideas from the left—but with hateful violent-laden threats that are publicly made. “If you see something or hear something—say something?” Ok. Here goes.
Celebrity Kathy Griffin posed with a shocking “beheading” photograph of President Trump. It was fake, of course, but it was published to influence people to violence. Instagram or Snap Chat will not need to be checked, for this was out there for everyone to see.
Pop-singer Madonna publicly threatened to “blow up the White House” while speaking at a “Woman’s March” last year. Her “radical feminism” contains dire predictions of violence against our Commander-in-Chief. She said she was “ready to shake up the world.” Her influence over millions of young people is in order to “rebellion.”
Rapper Snoop Dogg “shoots” Trump in a video production. Living down to his “rap culture” Snoop Dogg pulls the trigger on a “fake gun” mimicking the murder of our president. That the music industry has major impact in our world is without question.
Oscar-winning actor Robert DeNiro unleashed a profanity-laced verbal assault against President Trump saying, “I’d like to punch him in the face.” Real role model, that one.
And how about the Shakespeare in the Park production that stabs President Trump to death in their performance of Julius Caesar las summer in 2017? The brutally violent play glamorized the murder of our president and the actors who participated we are hereby calling out since we are to “say something” if we “see something.” The theater defended the production even after it sparked outrage.
David Simon, the creator of the HBO drama The Wire commented that if President Trump fires Robert Mueller, then “pick up a ‘blank’ brink. That’s all that’s left to you.” That was published on Twitter. This incitement to violence by another prominent figure should be investigated.
Mickey Rourke and Lea DeLaria, both prima donna actors, threated to beat President Trump with baseball bats. The latter included “every Republican” as well as Donald Trump. Her suggestion was, “[O]r pick up a baseball bat and take out every ‘blank’ republican and independent I see.” This should qualify as something of substance in our society in which when we are to take threats seriously.
There is at least one public threat against our President whose perpetrator was contacted by the Secret Service—or their record label was. Rappers YG and Nipsy Hussle released a “song” in 2016 in which were the lyrics, “I like white folks, but I don’t like you/ All the n*ggas in the hood wanna fight you/ Surprised El Chapo ain’t tried to snipe you/ Surprised the Nation of Islam ain’t tried to find you/ …”
Marilyn Manson kills Trump in a music video. Once again, Trump is depicted as decapitated lying in a pool of blood. Larry Wilmore “jokes” about suffocating Trump with a pillow. Sarah Silverman suggested overthrowing the Trump Administration with military force. And on and on it goes.
Many other nationally-known figures could be cited who have encouraged our youth to resort to acts of violence against Trump, Republicans, Christians, etc. All of these unprincipled vents are public record designed to prompt action. If we are serious about speaking up when something is questionable, why would we give a pass to these celebrities?
I personally opposed Barack Obama, labeling him a Marxist in philosophy and action. But I know of no conservative Christian who openly threatened him in the mainstream of America. The Bible teaches that it is the ideas, concepts, and philosophies against which we are to war (Eph. 6:10-12; 2 Cor. 10:4). To have frank discussions pertaining to one’s agenda is far different from calling for violence against a person.
So, in the wake of Parkland, FL; by all means—check out the social footprint of potential perpetrators of crime. Report Facebook rants, Instagram threats, Snap-Chat warning-signs, whatever. But quit giving celebrities a pass. We are sending elementary grade-school children to Juvenile Detention of they simply draw a picture of a gun or knife. When a Madonna threatens to “blow up the White House” or a Snoop Dogg mimics murdering President Trump, perhaps a timely arrest will stifle violent-laced dissent in others.