It has been interesting to watch the dynamics of the U.S. Senate this year. Since the 2020 election, the Senate has been a 50/50 split between Democrats and Republicans.

Two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, have become two of – if not the – most powerful Senators in the country. Not only do they not consistently toe the blue line, they have made no qualms about it.

The past couple of weeks Senator Sinema has made it known she opposes several major points in President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan. She opposes an increase to the corporate tax rate. She opposes increasing the rates on corporate international profits, and she opposes Biden’s desire to increase capital gains to a 36.9% rate. To say that Senator Sinema is frustrating her Democrat colleagues as well as the White House is an understatement.

Her opposition didn’t go unnoticed by others either. This past week, while back home in Arizona, Senator Sinema was heckled as she taught a class at Arizona State University. Afterward, the same group of protestors followed her into a public restroom where they continued to heckle her. As they did so, they recorded the incident and posted it on social media. Later that evening, the protestors followed her to a hotel. A day later, they were passengers on her airplane back to Washington, D.C. with even more protestors waiting for her at the airport upon her arrival.

It is our opinion that this type of protesting crosses a line. It isn’t respectful.

It isn’t peaceful.

It isn’t safe.

While some Democrat leadership condemned the actions of these protestors, not all did.

You may remember this past January when Joe Biden told staffers that he would “fire them on the spot” if they didn’t treat others with respect. So, how did he respond to the above incidents involving Senator Sinema? He said it was “part of the process.”

Part of the process?

His response didn’t sit well with Senator Sinema. And now, days later, the White House is complaining that she won’t take their phone calls.

Would the President have been as cavalier had this type of protesting been targeted at him? Would the Secret Service be as tolerant and dismissive? Very doubtful.

Why the double-standard? And if the double-standard is here to stay, why would the average citizen ever run for office? Is the risk to your safety worth it?

It wasn’t too many years ago that former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Gifford was shot by a disgruntled constituent. Everyone, regardless of political leaning, was rightfully upset when it happened, and widely condemned it.

Where do we draw the line? And will we draw the same line for everyone regardless of political affiliation or a policy stance?

Bullying and shaming are gateways to more aggressive and harmful behaviors. Respectful conversation and debate aren’t outdated principles, but they do seem dormant. It’s time for both to make a comeback.