The Tribune

Watching on Thursday evening last week the concluding proceedings in the grounds of the White House of the four-day Republican National Convention, the hour was late and bedtime called. The climax was President Trump’s formal acceptance of his party’s nomination for a second term. His speech seemed to go on forever – in fact, it lasted for just over an hour – so it was around midnight before the whole event broke up. Invited guests started walking quietly back to their nearby hotels and, whatever one’s political persuasion, many would have had to admit it had been a spectacular and, in many ways, impressive evening.

Imagine the horror, therefore, of waking up the next morning to the news - apparently filmed on mobile phones - that, before reaching their hotels, some of those same people had been set upon by an angry crowd of Black Lives Matter activists of all colours who jostled and spat at them while screaming obscenities. The most high profile among them was Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and his wife who were surrounded by dozens shouting threats to kill them. He said later they were in fear for their lives but were saved by their police escort.

Earlier, a mob had gathered outside the White House letting off fireworks and blowing horns in an attempt to disrupt the President’s speech.

This latest manifestation of violence, by activists protesting in the name of BLM against racial discrimination and police brutality, came after last week’s video footage of a chilling incident of an attack on a woman dining outside with a companion at a Washington restaurant. Reportedly, a crowd of masked men and women, who had been roaming around the city, surrounded her with clenched fists and heckled her with demands she should raise her arm to salute and support BLM. She refused to do so, however, and no one was hurt. She explained afterwards that, even though she herself had been on BLM marches, she would not be coerced in this way. Unsurprisingly, the video has gone viral and has sparked a widespread backlash.

To the outside observer, it is hard to believe these sort of incidents involving such thuggish bullying and threats of violence can take place in downtown Washington DC near the residence and offices of the most powerful statesman in the world. They have been condemned by moderate BLM leaders who, most people agree, are pursuing legitimate grievances about institutional and systemic racism and police brutality as long as this is done without violence. But, more widely, it is clear mob rule has overtaken Democrat-run cities like Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago and New York – and now Kenosha in Wisconsin – with looting, arson and killing perpetrated by anarchists and agitators.

The nation may still be gripped by the coronavirus pandemic that has precipitated a faltering economy. But it appears that this crime and violence is of major concern to the public so that safety, security and law and order have become the number one issue in the forthcoming general election.

President Trump has put this at the heart of his campaign and is stoking fears that the Democrats, if elected, would wreck the nation in a variety of ways with their Left-wing policies. Whether voters will believe this remains to be seen. But his poll numbers are rising which suggests the Democrats may have misread the effects of the BLM protests before finally condemning the violence after previously ignoring it, and it now seems more and more people consider the situation is playing in to Mr Trump’s hands and may win him re-election.

Meanwhile, having studied the thorny subject of race relations while at school many years ago in Massachusetts, I recall vividly the famous 1963 march on Washington led by Martin Luther King and his ‘I have a dream’ speech. But last week’s march – also on Washington – to mark its 57th anniversary was altogether different.

Bringing their demands to the doorstep of power seemed the right way forward for the BLM group. But this time the emphasis was on anger and grievance against a background of hatred and violence, shown in particular, it seemed to me, by the stridency of the speeches. Compare that with Martin Luther King’s condemnation of violence as immoral and self-defeating - as well as destroying any thought of brotherhood - and his espousal of the ideal of freedom and justice for all through peaceful means rather than division and hatred.

Viewed from outside its borders, it is all too easy to exaggerate the current crisis in the US. As a nation, it has always overcome its difficulties and challenges and emerged triumphant. But some local commentators now say the current mayhem represents a seismic shift and that even the American dream has died.

Suggestions that forces of organised crime are inciting the riots and strife make the situation all the more sinister. Criminal justice reform in any country ought to be under regular review as society changes and develops. But lawlessness and the activities of armed mobs and anarchists will surely not be tolerated much longer because it is clear that, while the majority of people support legitimate and peaceful protest, they reject violence and destruction and are sick of it.

If recent events are a portent of things to come in an America riven by chaos, one shudders to think what might happen during the coming weeks in the run-up to the election on November 3. It will be a nasty campaign and the two scheduled Trump/Biden debates will make compulsive viewing.

Political prediction is a thankless task. But, since voters want security, stability and a successful economy, it is now looking as though Mr Trump may build up momentum following the Republican convention and become the front runner. He remains a divisive figure and it will be a herculean task to heal deep wounds, restore stability and bring back a strong economy. But it is he who has promised to make America great again - however hollow an aspiration that now seems to be.

Britain braces for final rush of desperate refugees

Immigration is generally regarded as a complex and sensitive issue. Any country has the right to control its borders in order to protect its citizens and their way of life and The Bahamas, of course, applies its regulations vigorously in response to attempted illegal immigration from neighbouring Haiti by deporting in a timely fashion those who are caught contravening the law.

Historically, Britain has offered a safe haven to those genuinely suffering persecution in their own countries and, with its gradual withdrawal from empire, immigration rules were developed with the aim of treating with fairness and compassion those from Commonwealth countries seeking to settle in the UK. But in modern times - at least until 1997 when a Labour government took power - the importance of immigration tended to be played down.

In the mid-1990s, net annual migration to the UK was about 50,000, but by 2015, it had risen dramatically to 300,000.

This was partly because of an increase of EU migrants that had led from an earlier decision by the Labour government to favour more open borders, not least allowing entry from new states of the European Union from eastern Europe. But such a level was considered too high and the free movement of workers within the EU became a major issue in the Brexit debate.

Now, what the UK terms the Europe migrant crisis is taking centre stage. It involves large numbers of people crossing the English Channel from France in small boats to seek political asylum in Britain, though many are economic migrants simply seeking a better life. The figures are startling. In 2019, nearly 1,900 people made the crossing but, by June this year, that number had already been exceeded.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that, if migrants come to Britain’s shores illegally, they will be sent back to France. However, even though under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea a country has the right to take action against inbound vessels carrying illegal migrants, it has to respect their rights as asylum-seekers that are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights.

Thus, entering the UK illegally does not constitute automatic grounds for an asylum claim to be rejected. So there are legislative as well as operational barriers to be overcome - given that deportation has to be agreed by France as the receiving country even though under EU rules those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach that has a well-functioning asylum system.

Despite the limitations on the government’s scope for action, this should change after the end of the Brexit transition period and the UK’s departure from the EU is made final on December 31. Early next year, as Britain takes full control of its immigration, a major overhaul of its so-called ‘broken’ system is planned with introduction of a fairer, skills-led and points-based one.

It is said the current increase of refugees and asylum seekers trying to enter Britain is due to pressure to make the journey before the rules are tightened up in this way - and it looks as though their fears may well be realised as Britain becomes fully independent again.

Marking time

Today marks the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939. This was followed two days later by Britain’s declaration of war and the Second World War - the most destructive and widespread conflict in history - had begun. This prompted me, out of curiosity, to look at other important historical events during the month of September and the results were interesting.

It is a truism that history is being made before our eyes and that there are so many important events, with widespread repercussions and significance, happening all the time throughout the year. But September saw one of the worst events in modern history --- the terrible terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York on the eleventh day of that month in 2001, known as 9/11 and which requires no further explanation.

My research showed up a variety of other significant events during September over the years - from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the departure in 1620 of the Mayflower from Plymouth in England carrying the Pilgrim Fathers to America and the Treaty of Paris ending the American revolutionary wars in 1783 to - in more recent times - the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990 and the death of Mother Teresa in Calcutta in 1997.