Dakota Beacon

Many were acutely disappointed by Cramer's response to the caller on KNOX radio last summer, when he expressed his "gratitude" for the man who shot and killed this young veteran on January 6, in cold blood, from behind a door.  It would have been quite understandable to have responded with reservation - to have said, "this incident needs a hearing to determine exactly what happend - I will wait until I have sufficient information to discuss this . . . ."  Any of us could have related to that kind of answer.  Or he could have said, "I do not condone any kind of shooting or violence in our Capitol."  He could have said a lot of things that would have been defensible.  But he didn't

We promoted and supported Kevin Cramer because we believed he was a "conservative".  To most of us this means someone who believes in the Constitution and will defend and enforce it with his life if necessary.  The first Ten Amendments to the Constitution are known by the people as "The Bill of Rights".  The shooting of Ashli Babbitt violates several of these cherished rights.  It is these rights and their strength and defense which distinguish American citizenship.  We have a right to defend our actions in a court of law, to trial by a jury of our peers, to the right of assembly and free speech, to freedom of our person and our personal effects, to the presumption of innocence, to freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.  

As this is written, dozens of patriotic American citizens are beginning their second year in prison without being charged for any crime, as "terrorists" - for having rallied in support of an outgoing president who called them to Washington to express this support.  Not only has that ex-president left them to twist in the wind, our senator from North Dakota (who, by the way, abandoned that president on January 6, himself) has said nothing in their aid.  These people, as well as Ashli Babbitt, have been denied their rights as American citizens.  One has, in fact, died in custody, never having been charged, never to breathe the free air again.  

Cramer seems to be fine with all of this.  Maybe some North Dakotans are too.  But we must always remember that none of our rights will be defended if these people's rights are not.  You are only a set of handcuffs away from their fate.  You don't need to be charged either.  You don't need to have been found guilty of anything to rot in jail.  Or be shot.  If we do not stand up for these people's rights now we do not have any ourselves and do not deserve them.  Cramer apparently feels we don't deserve these rights.  As of today, January 26, 2022, after all of the new evidence that has been revealed to the public, Cramer has not retracted his statement of last summer.  He has also not apologized to the public or to the family of this young woman, this patriot, this veteran.  Do you really think he would stand up for YOUR rights?  Don't hold your breath.  Cramer is nothing but another career politician, the kiind that give the profession a bad name.  When he is in North Dakota he gives us all the impression of a Christian man, a follower of conscience.  When he is in Washington, not so much.

It is not unforgivable that Cramer said what he said - it showed horrible judgment, but he might have believed what he had been told by someone (someone he should not have trusted before he spoke).  It showed us a man who would recklessly charge a person he did not know, and in want of pertinent facts in the case, of criminal behavior.  Whether this was some homeless drug addict or a veteran of our military, or a millionaire, it makes no difference.  It was patently wrong for him to do this.  But we all make mistakes, we all have the occasional lapse in judgment.  What matters is, when we are shown evidence that we were wrong, what do we do?  An honorable person, a person with any kind of decent judgment, a person who cares about things like our country's history, our Constitution and our Bill of Rights, would apologize.  He would admit his failure and his own wrong.  Instead, so far, Kevin Cramer, Senator representing the state of North Dakota, is hiding from this issue.  I'd like to see him come back on KNOX radio as well as other North Dakota radio stations, and apologize.  He would be forgiven by most of us if he did this.  He deserves no forgiveness if he does not.  

Kevin, the ball is in your court.  What say you?

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