Some on the right engage in behavior that is so moronic and destructive that they might as well be leftists. This particular story is an example of some conservative-leaning folks doing the Democratic Party a huge favor when it comes to casting the conservative movement in a negative light. 

During a pro-Trump demonstration in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night, members of the Proud Boys, a group of right-wing activists, swarmed a black church and ripped a “Black Lives Matter” sign off the front of the building. Freelance reporter Brandan Gutenschwager filmed the incident. The footage shows these individuals tearing down the sign outside of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church and then stomping on it while chanting “our streets!”

Proud Boys tear down another Black Lives Matter board from the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church #DC #MarchForTrump #DefendDC #ProudBoys pic.twitter.com/ml1TbhV98Q

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) December 13, 2020

Several Twitter users excoriated the Proud Boys involved in the vandalism: 

I notice thugs destroying personal property.

— Dad, 🧢 Entrepreneur & Educator (@B12Business) December 13, 2020

So they commit vandalism while saying blm protesters should be murdered for vandalism

— corona go brrrrrrrrr (@samwitchbabey) December 13, 2020

"The right is for free speech. And religious freedom" Rightwingers desecrate a church to destroy a sign with a message they disapprove of. The message being "dont lynch black people" btw

— Mcoughlan (@Mcoughlan4) December 13, 2020

Of course, some brain surgeons cheered the actions of these thugs. But most of the comments condemned the Proud Boys’ behavior. 

Yes, it might be tempting for some to laud these individuals’ thuggery. After all, Antifa operatives engage in this behavior on the regular, right? But we can’t encourage people who are ostensibly on our side to mimic the actions of Antifa while condemning the radical leftist extremists who destroy property and expect to be taken seriously. 

Defacing a black church is a nasty look for the right because it only gives progressives even more fuel for their race-baiting antics. It’s yet another indication that not everyone who claims to be on the right is actually a benefit to the conservative movement. 

The actions of these thugs are also detrimental to the Proud Boys, who are constantly accused of being a white nationalist organization despite the lack of evidence. Most of the group’s members don’t embrace the same type of political violence as operatives affiliated with the Antifa movement. But we already know that the activists at left-wing news outlets have no problem using the conduct of a few individuals to smear the entire group. 

We have already seen that the corporate press’ activist groups are loath to condemn Antifa and other radical extremist left-wing organizations no matter how brutal they become. Even when a member of one of these groups shot and killed a Trump supporter in Portland, Oregon, they refused to take a stand against them. 

The conservative movement can’t afford to make the same mistake. We can defend the Proud Boys who are legitimately defending themselves against radical leftists using black bloc tactics while speaking out against the people who show themselves to be no better than Antifa. 

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

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