There is a news story that has really been bothering me this week, because frankly, it is just an awful miscarriage of justice inspired by a political agenda. If you've been following the news, you probably saw the story about a couple in St. Louis named Mark and Patricia McCloskey who brandished firearms at rioters who broke onto the property of their home and allegedly threatened them with violence and arson. No shots were fired and no one was killed.
It was announced yesterday that the couple would be charged with "unlawful use of a weapon." Anyone in this world who stands for the proper use of our criminal justice system should be outraged by this. When the story first broke weeks ago, the optics of the initial leaking of information looked bad. Two white people brandishing guns against "peaceful protestors" (as the media would characterize the individuals who showed up at their property) during a time of rallies for racial equality across the country. However, as more information started to come out, it was found that an angry mob broke through the front gate to their home, marched up to the front of their house, and were yelling, and allegedly making violent threats including executing the couple, burning down their home, and killing their dog. In today's climate where violence and destruction has erupted across the nation, these were obviously not threats to brush off. Any sane person at the very least would feel scared and even more reasonably feel their life was in some measure of danger.
So the couple did what any person who owned a firearm would do; retrieve them and defend their private property and potentially their lives. The end result was at least some modicum of a success. No one was hurt, no one was killed. The McCloskey's didn't go Bonnie and Clyde and start shooting recklessly into the crowd trying to kill people. Yet, for some reason, the District Attorney Kimberly Gardner seems to have a stick up her ass against this couple. The obvious question is why? Missouri is a castle doctrine state. Meaning, you have the legal right to defend your private property with force if intruders unlawfully enter, especially if you have a right to fear for your safety. The McCloskey's didn't even use force. They used firearms as a deterrent to prevent any violence upon them or destruction of their property. No matter which way you slice it, no crime was committed here. Absolutely none. The charges were "unlawful use of a weapon" but Missouri state law clearly defines their use of firearms as perfectly lawful.
So again, why the charges? The only answer I can fathom at this point is it is a political stunt. Over the past couple months we've seen politicians across the country pander to an angry vocal mob to further their own political careers. They, for some reason, either through ignorance, idiocy, or just lack of reading the temperature of their own constituents don't grasp that these mobs are a vocal minority. However, they don't care about enforcing the law justly as they were elected to do. They are afraid that the same angry mob will come for them at some point, knowing that nerfed police departments across the country(through these politicians' own direction) will be unable to stop them. So, instead of standing their ground and doing what is righteous, lawful, and brave, they cowardly choose the act of pandering even if it means neglecting their own duties. District Attorney Kimberly Gardner has chosen her own well-being, and political career over two individuals she was sworn to protect through the letter of the law. A disgusting, shameful, and disgraceful miscarriage of justice.
It doesn't help that certain reporters with agendas are purposely hiding or neglecting certain facts of this story in their articles, painting the McCloskey's out to be raging lunatics just carelessly flaunting the might of an arsenal, while also describing a group of people who tore down their front gate and stormed their home as "peaceful protestors." These reporters want nothing other than to sow discord and division in this country by prioritizing agenda over facts and truth. Depending on who reads these stories, people will have the facts of the case wrong, and possibly become one of the angry public voices themselves, putting even more pressure on the city's officials to bring justice when there was none deserved here.
This story should scare every single American, regardless of who you are and where you lean politically. As someone who follows true crime and reads stories daily about true bad guys and true evil being brought to justice, this story hasn't sat well with me at all since I first discovered it. This tells you that public pressure supersedes the letter of the law for at least one District Attorney. This tells you that it's only worthy to protect these laws when it is convenient for those in charge. This opens the door for anyone to be charged with anything if an angry mob demands it. That isn't the type of world I ever want to live in. Where the lines between good and bad are blurred by arbitrary logic, and people who likely don't even understand the law get to force those who do, to enforce it through their will. Thankfully, both the governor and AG have publicly stated that they will pardon the couple if it came to it, and with these charges it looks like it is going to happen. We need someone to step up and enforce the law properly at a time where our leaders are cowering in fear of a small vocal group of angry extremists.
This country is in no way perfect. But if you want justice, if you want equality, and you want a better life for yourselves and your families, then the law must be upheld... equally, for everyone. The moment that breaks down, our society soon after breaks down. We elect our leaders to enforce these laws and justice because we don't have the power(or smarts) to do it ourselves. Once we lose that, we lose everything and chaos ensues.
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