HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph and Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland each responded over the weekend to West Michigan demonstrations and the destruction in Grand Rapids and elsewhere.
Upton joined Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad to honor the memory of George Floyd and support his greiving family, as well as call for peaceful protests, and condemn injustice, according to Upton’s social media.
In his Facebook post, Upton wrote, “57 years ago, my friend John Lewis said, “We are tired…tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jail. And then you holler, ‘Be patient.’ How long can we be patient?”
While some praised his action, others challenged him to do more.
Amanda Avery wrote, “Why aren’t you speaking out against “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”?”
Rep. Bill Huizenga issued a statement on social media as well, writing:
“What happened last night in Grand Rapids is heartbreaking. I support people’s right to exercise their first amendment, however that stops when a peaceful demonstration leads to the destruction of small businesses, looting, and burning of police cruisers. Those are destructive actions that set our community back, prevent constructive dialogue, and do not honor the memory of Mr. Floyd.
“West Michigan remains a special place. The vast majority of law enforcement officials serve in communities across the nation with dignity and respect. Those who are bad actors must be held accountable for their actions.
“What we need now is to unite. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue, it is an issue we must continue to confront as Americans.
“We can’t let those who seek to sow further division do so. I hope you will join me in being part of the solution.”
Responses to his post ranged from those very supportive to critics who wrote, as Kate VanNoord Kooyman did, “I hope that being ‘part of the solution’ means, for you in particular, that you will stop your fervent, vocal support of the President who seems to work solely to cause division and harm. If you’re serious about being part of the solution, you’ll start to call out the President instead of supporting him.”
David Coffeyadded, “Please quit saying that the peaceful demonstrations lead to destruction. That would be like saying “the Christmas Party at Nakatomi Plaza lead to multiple deaths” in Die Hard. Un both cases, the violence erupted because of outside entities not the original event.”
