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False Equivalencies
Stop saying both sides are just as bad
In the wake of Wednesday’s storming of the US Capitol building by a mob of loyal Trump supporters, I’ve been hearing much rhetoric from Republicans along the lines of “but both sides are wrong and bad.”
No.
There is not an equivalency between the BLM protests against police brutality this summer and the mob siege of the Capitol on Wednesday.
One group was literally demanding to not be killed. The other was having a fit because they, for once, didn’t get their way — a way, mind you, that involved the oppression of Black and Brown people, women, LGBTQIA+ folx, immigrants, the poor, the weary, the COVID-stricken.
Saying both are just as bad and we need to simply ___ (fill in the blank), is not acceptable.
I’ve noticed comments such as this from many Christian pastors in particular. I wonder how many will mention the Capitol riots of this week on Sunday? I wonder how many will manage to avoid the issues entirely and not take a stand? Many will likely say we need to just trust Jesus; we need to condemn all sin and violence when we see it; we need to disavow all idols on both sides.
Well, let’s start with the idols of white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and capitalism.
We have deep work to do.
Ignoring the issues and pulling some stunt of spiritual bypassing does not cut it.
