Democrats responding to the uplifting stories from the Republican National Convention have tread a precarious line in their efforts to bash many of the speakers who have triumphed in the face of adversity.
The RNC’s push for diversity has exposed deep insecurities—or worse, bigotry—in those who had once proclaimed themselves the arbiters of wokeness, now forced to share their privileged demographic status with dissenting ideological viewpoints.
Media have seethed with envy, accusing some of the many speakers of color with pejoratives like “Sambo” and “Uncle Tom.”
But following the Democrats’ hate-filled infomercial/telethon/convention last week, the clamor has done little more than expose their true colors.
And in some cases, the backlash has been severe.
Madison Cawthorn, the 25-year-old GOP candidate to replace White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, was one of the highlights of the RNC’s third night on Wednesday.
Cawthorn’s age is not the only thing that sets him apart; he also was paralyzed in a car accident when he was 18.
“My accident has given me new eyes to see and new ears to hear,” said the wheelchair-bound Cawthorn, who once stood 6-foot-3.
“… I say to people who feel forgotten, ignored and invisible, I see you, I hear you,” he continued.
He went on to invite those who disagreed politically to join him by engaging in dialogue and forming a “new town square” for political discourse.
“Let’s have a true conversation, listen to all ideas and let the best ones prevail,” he said.
Finally, he accented his speech with a dramatic moment, standing out of his chair with the help of two assistants on either side, while invoking the lines from the Pledge of Allegiance, “for which I stand,” he said.
The poignancy of the moment underscored the night’s theme of heroism and perseverance, which included a keynote speech from Vice President Mike Pence at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, birthplace of the national anthem.
But far-left PBS pundit Yamiche Alcindor, herself no stranger to controversy and a disregard for journalism norms of objectivity—despite working for a publicly funded network—appeared to be triggered by the show of patriotism and reverence for American symbols.
She bashed it, instead, as an affront to the efforts by radical black activists who have made disrespecting the national anthem a form of protest.
Madison Cawthorn made it a point to stand, suggesting that all Americans to should stand during the pledge of allegiance & national anthem.
It was a direct rebuke of actions by ppl — including black athletes who are currently sitting out games — protesting police brutality.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 27, 2020
Alcindor’s desperate grab to try to criticize a crippled boy did not go as planned.
Instead, many on Twitter and other platforms blasted her, ironically, for her ableist attitude.
Apparently you have something against disabled people. You are classless!
— Mark (@Mark_Kalet) August 27, 2020
But others kept it more basic than that, condemning her warped perspective on the issue of patriotism itself in accusing Cawthorn of some nefarious intent, even if he were rebuking the anti-American protests and their tacit approval of ongoing race riots.
I guess you don’t like patriots.
— DonIrvine (@DonIrvine) August 27, 2020
Cawthorn’s campaign spokesman, John Hart, issued the following statement in an email to HeadlineUSA:
“Madison was simply telling people it’s okay to stand if that’s what they choose to do,” Hart said.
“He said we need a new town square that welcomes different points of view,” the statement continued. “People who choose to stand should not be shouted down or cancelled. And by standing with the assistance of his friends, he wanted to offer a symbol of community. In tough times, we need to lift each other up.”
