It would be amusing if it weren’t so serious. Last weekend’s expressions of supposed free speech were almost universally called demonstrations by the media and “mostly peaceful” by some. In contrast, the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol was labeled an “insurrection” and “riot” by the media.

As usual, there were few questions about where the signs and organizational skills came from. A few congressional Republicans have called for an investigation after reports that some NGOs were used by foreign and liberal individuals and domestic organizations to funnel money that underwrote some of the expenses, like the cost of well-made signs.

As with so much else, pollsters are now looking at the political effect and who benefits most from scenes that included looting, attacks on police cars and burning Waymo vehicles.

According to a YouGov poll, the demonstrations were unpopular with the public. More than 4,000 adults were questioned and only 36 percent approved of the protests. Forty-five percent disapproved and then we have the usual category of people who find it difficult to make up their minds about anything — 19 percent were “unsure” about how to react.

Now to the big, and to some, cynical question: who benefits?

It should not come as a surprise that most Americans respect law and order regardless of party. That issue usually favors Republicans and according to an InsiderAdvantage poll taken June 9-10, 59 percent said they agreed with Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard and federal military to downtown Los Angeles. This included 89 percent of Republicans, 56 percent of independents, and 37 percent of Democrats.

RealClearPolitics reports that Republicans intend to seize on the issue, hoping it will benefit them in next year’s congressional races. It quotes Jesse Hun, a strategist and former communications director at the National Republican Senatorial Campaign: “(These demonstrations paint) a real picture of which side voters can choose to be on, public servants enforcing U.S. law in an American city or a violent mob waving another country’s flag.”

Some, perhaps many Democrats, may be OK with people waving the flags of other countries, but they are not waving the white flag of surrender.

Way to Win and Impact Research, polling organizations that lean left, found that while Republicans have a large 23-point lead on immigration (43 percent to 19 percent) “certain messaging can drive down their strength on the issue.” Again, it’s about messaging not the message. In the survey, pollsters asked about Trump’s approval on immigration, then presented examples of arrests, such as “a 10-year-old U.S. citizen … deported because their parents are undocumented,” and then asked for Trump’s approval again. They found that his approval on immigration dropped by 5 points after hearing such examples, from 50 percent to 45 percent.“

These are likely low-information voters who respond more to feelings than whether people are breaking our laws.

It’s hard to unsee lawlessness. These protests, or demonstrations, that included slogans denigrating America, are bound to produce new cries for law and order.

Disrespect for the law, life, property and all authority has occasionally raised its ugly head since the 1960s. Tough on crime became a type of political war cry that benefited Republicans. The problem goes deeper. The failure to teach right from wrong and the abandonment of standards by which we can define those words and then teach the next generation the difference is at the core of the problem.

I’ve quoted this line from the Old Testament Book of Judges before, but it is applicable to what we are seeing in the streets and with too many weak judges and district attorneys: "In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

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