Once is an accident. Twice is a mistake.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Or as President George W. Bush would say, you’re not gonna fool me again.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was singled out last week by conservative Fox News host Tucker Carlson for her planned executive order providing automatic restoration of voting rights for felons.
Yes, she has been working on this issue for more than a year. But the timing of her decision to issue an executive order and how it coincides with “demands” from Black Lives Matter is not good.
I’m not sure who advised her that meeting with the group once was a good idea. I’m not sure that whoever advised her meeting with them a second time should still have a job in government — at any level. And whoever advised her that this executive order is the right road to go down should probably not be allowed a seat at any serious table for Republican discussion ever again.
When the governor of the state makes time to meet with a group, he or she legitimizes that group — for better or worse. When the governor meets a second time, after the group issued public “demands,” it’s just outlandish.
Gov. Reynolds has legitimized Black Lives Matter Des Moines. She has provided it oxygen. She has given the mouse a cookie.
Just listen to this Black Lives Matter co-founder:
“We actually do have an ideological frame. Myself and Alicia in particular, we’re trained organizers. We are trained Marxists. We are super versed on ideological theories.”
All things Left is what Black Lives Matter stands for. The group ignores the biggest threats to black lives. It is yet another wing of the socialist, Marxist Democrat Party.
In America, we don’t negotiate with terrorists.
I am yet to see anything that resembles a desire to have a serious, adult conversation on the part of Black Lives Matter. There is a way to handle things and a way to dialogue, but they’ve not yet shown themselves capable or willing to do it in a respectful manner.
Blocking roads, forcing private businesses to close early, doxxing a man for having the audacity to drive on a public street, using extremely vulgar language, vandalizing a police vehicle, burning the DMPD emblem, demanding the defunding of police — I could go on and on.
And this is the group that Reynolds sat down with not once, but twice.
One important sign of strong, solid leadership is admitting when you are wrong. Gov. Reynolds was wrong to meet with Black Lives Matter the first time. She was extremely misguided to do it again.
It is time she apologizes to Iowans for legitimizing Black Lives Matter.
It was irresponsible, poorly thought out and unbecoming for the office of Iowa Governor. Since those meetings the BLM group has taunted Reynolds and continued to be destructive.
Remember, Reynolds forced churches to shut down earlier this year due to COVID-19. Many of her “orders” were still in place when the protests broke out. Her orders opened the door for pastors to be thrown in jail for daring to have church. Yet her orders went unenforced during the early protests.
Now is the time for strong, decisive leadership in the Governor’s office. And sometimes a strong, decisive leader has to admit when they are wrong if they are to retain credibility.
