The Signorile Report
The Signorile Report
Caller defends congressman who sloughs off 1/6 terrorists
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Caller defends congressman who sloughs off 1/6 terrorists

Lou in Wyoming says Rep. Dan Crenshaw served in military, therefore we shouldn't question him
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In a discussion about Texas GOP Representative Dan Crenshaw attacking Olympian hammer thrower Gwen Berry who, after receiving a bronze medal, reportedly turned her back on the American flag — exercising her free speech — Lou from Wyoming called in to my SiriusXM program.

Lou, like Crenshaw, is a military veteran, and defined himself as a “Dan Crenshaw supporter.” He proceeded to elevate Crenshaw’s opinion about Berry — that she should be “removed” from the U.S. Olympic team — simply because Crenshaw served in the military.

I pointed out that Crenshaw had lost all credibility because he defended the insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol (some literally using flagpole with American flags to beat up police officers) by not voting for investigations — and certainly not voting to impeach the inciter-in-chief, Donald Trump.

I was fascinated that Lou believed that Crenshaw had some sort of immunity from criticism because he served in the military. One can serve his or her country, which is an honorable and powerful thing, and then say or do things that are reckless and wrong — and should be called out out for it.

Lou also claimed that being in the military gives a special right to criticize athletes who protest the flag and implied that protest of the flag is an offense to the veteran. I would actually look at it the other way: People have served this country precisely to protect the right of anyone to protest, including protesting the flag, and should be supportive of that freedom they fought for whether they agree with the speech or not.

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But beyond that, I’m struck that people like Crenshaw have spent more time attacking a Black athlete who engaged in no violence whatsoever against this country — a country she is holder to higher ideals regarding justice and equal treatment of Black people, engaging in peaceful protest — than those who killed and maimed police officers, tried to kill the vice president and do harm to members of Congress.

Nobody gets a pass, whether they served in the military or not, and anyone who is on Team Trump about the domestic terrorist attack against the Capitol has lost every shred of credibility.

I got pretty worked up with Lou — and yes, dropped an F-bomb — but these people are really both clear-headed and brazen. I also should have rightly called Crenshaw a “terrorist sympathizer” rather than a terrorist. He’s of course not engaged in any violence personally, even if he’s tacitly defended those who have. But you know what happens in the heat of the moment.

Some think I went too far, and yeah, I do go from zero to 10 in 5 seconds sometimes/ (“Take a deep breath Mike!”) Let me know your thoughts.

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