Editor’s Note: From the Back Forty is Liberty Nation’s longest-running and most popular weekly column. Capturing the truth each week from heartlanders in flyover states, LN gives voice to the hard-working Americans otherwise ignored by the coastal elites.
The Uvalde Leader-News printed the May 24, 2022, edition as a simple, stark, completely black front page with the date in all white letters as the story headline. A powerful and gut-wrenching reminder that there are no words to explain a loss so stunningly violent in a community otherwise so peaceful and quiet and hopeful. As the news unfolded of events surrounding the massacre of children, citizens across the heartland came together. But not to discuss gun control or the NRA or whether it’s a gun problem or a mental health problem. No, the concern expressed over and over again was about how we as a nation deal with the aftermath of tragedy and enduring heartbreak.
Not The Time or Place
Governor Greg Abbott of Texas addressed the Robb Elementary school mass shooting at a press conference flanked by state officials, Congressional representation, and the shell-shocked mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin. Then, in the middle of trying to explain the facts, gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke stormed the dais, pushed aside a few members of a ravenous media, and lit into the governor on gun control. It was seemingly the move of a desperate man with a detached idea of hijacking a solemn and difficult event for his own political purposes.
Beto O'Rourke (Photo by Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)
Mayor McLaughlin demanded Beto be removed and called the gesticulating inarticulate intruder a “sick son of a b--ch.” Does the desire to receive that few minutes of fame allow decency and respect to be forgotten? It can be said that politicians never let a good crisis go to waste.
Laurel Tisler in Roswell, NM, had a thing or two to say, “So sad that the mayor had to say or do anything.” In St. Louis, MO, Nadine Steckhan agreed, “I wish everyone would put their differences and political beliefs aside and let these people grieve.”
Kristi Jones then put a new label on the dirt-eating, spiritually desperate candidate-in-waiting. The Indianola, IA, gal stated: “It was totally inappropriate! Pre-planned political grandstanding.”
Grandstanding, indeed.
And then there was Vernon Jones, former Democrat now Republican congressional candidate in Georgia, describing the Heartlander trifecta: “Beto O’Rourke should be ashamed of himself. Beto O’Rourke should be embarrassed of himself. Beto O’Rourke should be disgusted with himself.”
Damn straight, Skippy.
Desperate To Stay Relevant
(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Of course, Democrats grabbed onto the Robb Elementary School massacre to call more people racist. With what some might call feigned outrage, former President Barack Obama put himself in the limelight again. In a Tweet to commemorate the death of George Floyd, Mr. Obama used the Uvalde tragedy, saying: “As we grieve the children of Uvalde today, we should take time to recognize that two years have passed since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a police officer. His killing stays with us all to this day, especially those who loved him.”
A swing and a miss. Mr. Obama’s words fell flat, and the heckling began. In response, Seth Dillon angrily paraphrased his Tweet: “It sucks those kids died, but remember George Floyd? That’s who I’m thinking about.” Floridian Christina Pushaw also weighed right in: “This is truly sick. Nineteen innocent children and two hero teachers were killed... and to the Divider-in-Chief, the real victim of Uvalde is George Floyd?”
Flyover folks prayed for strength for the Uvalde community left devastated – lives changed forever – while Democrats seemed to make political hay over 21 dead people. More newspapers should run that all black front page if Democrats want to continue using horrific tragedy to pad their political goals and dreams.
