Opinion
U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)-While Antifa has taken over part of Seattle, Washington and declared it a new country and no longer part of the USA, Instagram has decided that the real threat is from the Hawaiian shirt-wearing pro-gun crowd.
The Facebook-owned company decided to hide the hashtag #boogaloo while users on the platform can easily find the anarcho-communist propaganda hashtag #antifa. Instagram claims that they blocked the hashtag because some of the posts using the tag fall “outside the community guidelines”.
Meanwhile, Antifa is using their hashtag to call for the overthrow of the US Government?
The Boogaloo is a term that takes its tongue in cheek name from the 1984 movie “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.” It refers jokingly to the second American Revolution or the second American Civil War. Second Amendment activist has latched onto the meme as a sign of protest against what they see as an overbearing government that wants to infringe on their gun rights.
Gun rights activists wear Hawaiian shirts to pro-gun rallies and other events. During Lobby Day in Virginia, Tennessee, and other states, many of the attendees sported flowered pattern shirts and even plate carriers sporting the happy-pattern design. At these protests, there wasn’t any looting, rioting, or violence. The protestors left the cities cleaner than when they arrived.
The Antifa protests that have taken place across the country since 2017 have left people battered and bruised and local businesses and private property stolen, looted, and burned. The anarchist group assaulted journalist Andy Ngo in Seattle, leaving him with a brain bleed. Antifa has opened fire on police stations and attempted to murder people with bike locks.
The far-left group has burned buildings and businesses. During the group’s “Disrupt J20” protest that took place during Donald Trump’s Presidential inauguration, Antifa burned the limo of an immigrant. They have shown up at Tucker Carlson’s house in DC to intimidate the Fox News host’s family. The group has even listed me personally on their enemy list.
Although there is overwhelming evidence that Antifa is the threat and not the “Boogaloo Movement,” the group seems to be protected by left-wing politicians. Hillary Clinton’s running mate, Tim Kaine, is the father of Antifa member, Linwood “Woody” Kaine. Police arrested the younger Kaine at a Trump rally in Minnesota for obstruction.
Last month the Baltimore branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATF), in conjunction with the Baltimore Police Department, issued an “Officer Safety Bulletin” warning local police of the “Boogaloo Movement.” The bulletin warned police “individuals who identify with extreme second amendment rights.” These people also have clean records and do not belong to a domestic terrorist group like Antifa.
So, the question remains, why did Instagram choose to block the #boogaloo hashtag?
According to the tech giant, it was due to the “community” reporting the hashtag. It could be that left-wing activists have been gaming the system by mass reporting the hashtag to Instagram, or it could be that the social media platform’s left-wing bias is showing through.
No matter the reason why Instagram hid the tag, it goes to show that there is a war of ideas in the country, and the left is playing by a different set of rules than us. We need to study their tactics and change ours to better combat those that would like to see us silenced. Instagram users be sure and report the #antifa tag if you find you are offended.
About John Crump
John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.