“I choose not to participate in that”
A man firebombed the Pennsylvania governor’s residence while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were inside. The man in question had a hammer and planned to assault him with it. His motive was that
Shapiro “needs to know that he ‘will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people.’”
Rather than clearly speak out about what happened, Gov. Shapiro instead launched into a strange word salad.
“I know that there are people out there who want to ascribe their own viewpoints as to what happened here and why. I know there are people out there who want to adopt their own political viewpoints, or their own worldview as to what happened and why. I choose not to participate in that,” he said at a press conference.
Then he boldly took a stand and condemned ‘violence’. In general. On all sides.
“I said after the assassination attempt on the president in Butler, I said in Altoona after we captured the individual who shot and killed a U.S. health care CEO, and I said on Sunday that this kind of violence has no place in our society, regardless of what motivates it.”
“This is not how we resolve our differences. This kind of violence has no place in our society — and it must be condemned by everyone, from both political parties.”
There’s nothing wrong with denouncing violence in general, but Shapiro is being deliberately evasive here. He’s not condemning violence in general, he’s trying not to deal with the stated motives of the man who tried to kill him because those motives have a good deal of popularity within his own political party. So instead he’s reduced to ‘bothsidesing’ his own attempted murder to avoid calling attention to the motive.
The closest Gov. Shapiro came to addressing what the motive was saying that no one would intimidate him from practicing his faith. But much of this came down to Shapiro issuing general condemnations not grounded in anything.
“This kind of violence is becoming far too common in our society, and I don’t give a damn if it’s coming from one particular side or the other, directed at one particular party or another, or one particular person or another. It is not OK, and it has to stop. We have to be better than this.”
Weirdly, it fell to Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who has his own iffy history with antisemitism, to actually issue a specific condemnation. “Political violence of any kind is never acceptable, and it is especially unconscionable to attack a Jewish family during the first night of Passover.”
Halie Soifer, the CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, who has recently been advocating for campus Hamas supporters, bizarrely attacked Trump over the assault.
“Nearly four days after Gov. Shapiro was targeted in an act of political violence — reportedly due to his position on Israel — Trump hasn’t clearly condemned it,” Soifer complained.
The thing is that Gov. Shapiro still hasn’t condemned it.
40 rounds says
No, no, I couldn’t possibly condemn jihad, after all I don’t want to offend the people who would like to murder me and my family
crown says
That’s right. He’s eyeing the 2028 Presidential election, so he wants to make sure he doesn’t offend the Hamas wing of the Democrat party.
Sorry to tell you this, Josh, but the Hamas wing of the party is on track to be the dominant wing. And that means… no Jooooz!
Emilie Green says
“Refuses to Discuss Pro-Palestinian Motive for Attack”
Another Profile in Putty.
Wellington says
Here’s the ultimate problem with Shapiro: He’s smarter than someone like Kamala Harris but he’s just as foolish, particularly in respect to not calling out the true wickedness of that deeply unfortunate religion that begins with an “I.” .
In other words, he’s a typical American politician not seeing “the big picture” where Islam is concerned (or for that matter where modern Leftism is concerned). The Democratic Party is completely guilty in this regard and still way too many Republicans are.
Oh yeah, the games continue. And they are both deadly and stupid games. Shapiro is nothing more than a participator in these games and he should not be trusted in the least.
somehistory says
When the would-be murderer goes to trial, what will the Prosecutor say is the **motive**?
When the police hear of a crime, in their investigation they look for **motive** as that will lead them to the individual or group responsible.
When a woman is murdered, the police look first at male relatives or former husbands, former boyfriends, etc. as these are the ones most likely to have a **motive.**
This would be multiple murderer had a motive; a clear motive. He’s all for mozlum terror, for terrorizing Jews for the hatred mozlums feel.
So when the Prosecutor is making his opening statement, what will he say was the **motive** for the arson and attempted murders?
Presumably, the governor and family will be witnesses to the crime of arson and the one of attempted murder. Will he pressure the prosecutor not to say anything about a “motive”? Will he want the jury to just wonder and speculate?
And the idiot who blames the President, is an idiot troublemaker who wants mozlums to be cleared of any kind of connection to the crime.
WPM says
They will label mental illness lone wolf like every jihad attack in western Europe and in the Americas. This latest attack on an American elected official will disappear quicker then a fart in the wind. It does not fit the far right groups that the democrats blame for all the “troubles ” and violence in America today .Never mind BLM ,the summer of love 2020 ,911 ,the gay night club jihad attack’s in Florida ,the Boston marathon bombing ,the mass jihad shooting in California San Barbara , truck driving into crowds in Europe ,NYC ,Charlie Hibro shooting in France over cartoons, the endless blood shed in the the 30 years world wide by Islam. The refusal of the MSM ,and elected officials to see Islam is responsible for more death and violence in the 21 century then any other belief system .They are still beating the blackwood bushes for the last clans men getting around in walkers in their double wide’s.
Paul Bunting says
Shapiro has always been a pussy boy going back to the days when he was a State Representative.
He was and still is a spineless coward and lets others dictate to him. A typical self-hating Jew!
Rarely says
It seems that his comments were spot on. There was no need to say any more. He is wise in leaving it to others to expose the motive. In prosecuting the case the prosecution will bring up the motive (which they well know) if it will further the case or influence the penalty imposed.
Clearly this was an antisemitic act and should be prosecuted as one. Even the MSM can recognize that and will treat it as such.
James Lincoln says
Rarely says,
“In prosecuting the case the prosecution will bring up the motive (which they well know) if it will further the case or influence the penalty imposed.”
They will likely bring up anti-Semitism but they will not link it to any islamic teachings.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
In this case, the plotter was a non-muslim Leftist by the name of Cody Balmer. So that link wouldn’t be valid here
However, point remains that Shapiro is being targeted not by Republicans or even Right Wing antisemites like Candace Owens or Jackson Hinkle, but rather by Leftist antisemites like Balmer
James Lincoln says
Thanks for the important clarification, Infidel.
Winston 101 says
I found your comment interesting and I hope your assumptions are correct.
If a perpetrator who goes directly to the final solution of burning Jews when trying to express his political views isn’t antisemitic I don’t know what is. I’m just lacking in prosecutorial faith at the moment.
tgusa says
“This is not how we resolve our differences”
Evidently it is. The democrat mob is defending democracy by resisting our democratically elected President. They are keying cars, firebombing places, using courts for obstruction, beating up people who disagree with them, rallying for gang members, terrorists, the mentally ill. If you go against the crazed democrat mob they will label you a nazi.
“There’s nothing wrong with denouncing violence in general, but Shapiro is being deliberately evasive here.”
Shapiro doesn’t want to paint himself in to a corner by taking a stand on anything.
tgusa says
For all intents and purposes the democrat party slogan might as well be, make the neighborhood watch great again.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Reminds me of the cartoon where a sheep, while it’s being devoured by a wolf, promises not to become wolfophobic by assuming that eating sheep is the very nature of wolves
Anyway, if he’s trying to placate antisemites within his party, he’s fighting a losing battle. Apparently, except for Bernie & JB Pritzker, no one can
somehistory says
With those goons, it’s always, ‘yeah, but what have you done for me lately?’
Just like mozlums, nothing is ever enough.
ed says
Shapiro is to PA what biden is to the country
࿗Infidel࿘ says
He’s at least sentient, and the one actually running the state. Biden was asleep at the switch, and Autopen was used to sign many of his orders. The constitutionality of the latter is pretty suspect
ed says
Shapiro is to PA what biden is to the country
jerry glenn says
Why is anyone surprised? He’s a Democrat politician.