Striking back at the rise of the "woke child mob," cancel culture, censorship, and the destruction of America, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., delivered a blistering rebuke of left-wing ideology Thursday.
"The cancel culture, whether in its Maoist or its Jacobin forms, ultimately is animated by a single idea: That America at its core is fundamentally irredeemable and wicked; I reject that claim fully, wholeheartedly," Cotton said in a speech on the Senate floor Thursday.
"America is a great and noble nation, the noblest nation in the history of mankind that has struggled throughout our history — imperfectly — but ceaselessly to live up to our founding creed, that all men are created equal: The single greatest defense against tyranny, against racism, against oppression. That is the stakes of this debate."
Cotton struck back at The New York Times for censoring his op-ed calling on using the U.S. military to protect Americans and cities from violent rioters, looters, and arsonists.
"The publisher defended the decision publicly, but a child mob at The New York Times rose up and demanded heads on pikes," Cotton said. "They demanded the op-ed be taken down. They demanded that the grown-ups — maybe I should say the supposed grown-ups — who run The New York Times, apologize, and that is exactly what happened.
"The New York Times has made itself a laughingstock, but this is no laughing matter because cancel culture threatens the very principles of free inquiry and open debate upon which our society is based," he continued. "And you see other manifestations of cancel culture all across the country today."
Cotton pointed to the "autonomous zone" set up by protesters and permitted by liberal leaders in Seattle.
"Revolutionaries, anarchists have taken over city government buildings," Cotton said. "They have taken over neighborhoods; they have declared themselves an autonomous zone. They put up a sign that says you're leaving the United States when you enter this autonomous zone.
"The Democratic Party today — I suppose — is still the party of secession."
His rebuke continued into the ensuing tearing down of U.S. historical monuments, which he said will be a slippery slope where there is little recognizable in America if the "woke mob" has its way.
"History is not the long suit of these woke children" Cotton said. "They didn't take history classes apparently in high school and college. They were too busy taking social justice seminars."
And, in addition to removing television programs like "Cops," classic movies like "Gone With the Wind," and modern children's cartoon "Paw Patrol," because it includes a police dog.
"There's calls to euthanize the police dog on social media," Cotton lamented. "I wish I could say I'm joking, but I'm not."
Cotton finished with a call for the "madness" to "end" otherwise Washington, D.C., will be no more.
"So, where does this cancel culture take us? What is the logical conclusion? What is the end of the cancel culture?" Cotton said.
"I will tell you what it is. It is right here, in this city, Washington, District of Columbia. That's where it will end, if we don't put an end to the madness now. Just up the mall is the Washington Monument. Are we going to tear the Washington Monument down? Are we going to rename it the obelisk of wokeness?
"Up the hill is the Washington National Cathedral where so many times we have gathered as a nation over the years to mourn our great leaders, to pray for God's protection and deliverance in moments of national strife and struggle. Are we going to rename the Washington National Cathedral the Temple of Reason, as the Jacobins did to Notre Dame during the French Revolution?
"What are we going to call this city? Can't call it Washington, can't call it Columbia. Got to come up with new names all around."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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