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Timothy Hennig 3:47 p.m. CT Feb. 18, 2017

Rioters loot and vandalize a Starbucks store during a protest against Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos in Berkeley, Calif., on Feb. 1.(Photo: European Press Agency)

I wholeheartedly agree with Daniel Riemer, who wrote recently in Crossroads that Democrats need to return to their principles.

Unfortunately, he reverts to the same arguments weve heard from the left for years.

And, I would suggest, the first principle Democrats should return to is being law-abiding citizens.

During protests in Washington, D.C., on the day of President Donald Trumps inauguration, marchers broke windows, started a car on fire (owned by a Muslim immigrant no less) and were disrespectful of the law.

During her speech at the Womens March on Washington, Madonna stated that she contemplated assassinating the president. Yes, I have thought an awful lot about blowing up the White House, she said.

Apparently that sort of rhetoric is OK with Democrats because I didnt hear anyone condemn it.

More recently, consider the protests at the University of California-Berkeley campus, where protesters started fires and smashed windows because the students didnt like the conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos of Breitbart News.

It seems like the all-inclusive party is all inclusive only for people who agree with its agenda. If you disagree, youre excluded, First Amendment be damned.

Contrast that with the recent peaceful march in Washington by pro-life groups or the tea party marches a few years ago. No vandalism. No profanities. Just law-abiding citizens making their opinions known, peacefully.

Finally, how many incidents have there been in which Trump supporters beat up or traumatized an innocent person? You know, all those Nazi incidents the left warned us about? Ive heard of none. Conversely, how may incidents have there been where Trump haters, beat up, tortured or traumatized a Trump supporter? Many.

As for Riemers New Deal contentions, let me address a few of them:

Riemer wants to provide equal opportunity in health and education. I thought Obamacare was supposed to provide affordable health care for all. Thats what President Barack Obama told us, repeatedly (along with the part about keeping your doctor and plan). Perhaps one of the principles Democrats should abide by should be to stop lying to the American people. I do compliment Riemer for at least acknowledging implicitly that Obamcare is a failure.

With respect to education, Democrats are always in favor of making changes to make the system successful, until those changes bump up against anything the teachers unions dont want. Then, theyre in full retreat. Unless all the professors, administrative and janitorial staff agree to work for free, a college education will not be free. Someone is going to have to pay for it.

Finally, Riemer argues for restoring balance to the tax system, with which we all agree. But consider this: Democrats controlled all three branches of government for two years after Obama was elected in 2008, and had a great opportunity to bring sanity to the tax code. Instead, they decided to pass Obamacare.

Riemer falls back on the usual rhetoric, requiring the super-wealthy and those who live on loopholes to pay their fair share. First, the super-wealthy didnt write the tax code. Congress and legislatures do that. So dont blame the wealthy for something over which they have no control.

And lets consider a few inconvenient facts: Over the long term, the top 1% pays about 40% of all personal income taxes. The next 9% pays about 30%. About half the people pay no income tax at all.

So, who exactly is not paying their fair share?

Seems to me that if you are a citizen in this country you should have at least some skin in the game, and its a problem when half of us do not.

Timothy Hennig is a resident of Pewaukee.

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Hennig: By all means, Democrats, return to your principles - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel