© Natalie Behring/AFP/Getty ImagesSince when do Americans tolerate political violence?
Reality was anticlimactic. Law enforcement was out in force, at an estimated price tag of $600,000. Concrete barriers were erected to hold back the liberal "antifa," and police obtained permission in advance to use pepper spray. Much of campus was locked down and cleared out. Nine people were arrested. And so, Shapiro arrived, gave his speech, and departed without the mayhem we've become accustomed to seeing at such appearances. And collective relief was sighed.
But how relieved should we be that this is what it takes to maintain order in the face of ... a speech? On the one hand it shows that even in the heart of antifa territory, police and authorities that are actually determined to control them can do so. That's good to know (and gives the lie to chicken authorities who would give antifa a heckler's veto). And yet, those authorities could be forgiven for feeling daunted, even aggrieved, when they realize that every speaker antifa doesn't like means vast sums, and considerable effort, expended on turning your public spaces into a demilitarized zone.
Comment: These words by Lauren Richmond seem particularly important to remember: "...it was hopeless, there was no point trying to reason with him." And if we imagine that there is a small percentage of people across ALL strata of society (as there surely is) - including and especially the political - who are psychologically, and perhaps even biologically, incapable of seeing reason - we have some better idea as to what the root of many of the world's problems are.