By Granite State Report
There’s a political cartoon floating around called “A Field Guide to Civil Unrest — 2nd Edition.” It’s split into two panels.
On the left, you’ve got a pair of guys straight out of the Capitol riot starter pack:
one in a red MAGA hat clutching a rifle and a sign that says “Hang Pence.”
Next to him is the famous horn-helmet dude from January 6th—shirtless, tattooed, and definitely not invited to brunch.
Above them: “Peaceful Protestors.”
Now, look to the right. A woman wearing a bandana over her face holds a sign saying “Immigrants are Humans.” She’s got a little kid by her side.
Above her: “Violent Insurrectionists.”
And that’s it. Just two pictures, but it perfectly captures a certain brand of American hypocrisy.
Step 1: The Cartoonist Isn’t the Joke — We Are
The artist, Adam Zyglis, isn’t just being clever; he’s holding up a mirror. He’s saying: “Look, you’ll call an armed mob that literally stormed the Capitol peaceful, but a mom holding a pro-human sign is suddenly an existential threat to democracy.”
That’s satire — exaggeration used to expose the absurd. And in this case, the absurdity is ours.
Step 2: The Double Standard, in Plain English
Let’s call it what it is: selective outrage.
If your side does it, it’s “patriotism.”
If the other side does it, it’s “anarchy.”
Same shouting, different slogans — yet wildly different headlines.
You saw it after January 6th: “They were just expressing frustration.”
Then, during immigration or racial-justice protests: “Lawless radicals destroying America!”
Apparently, the line between “freedom” and “felony” depends on your choice of hat color.
Step 3: The Power of Labels
Words matter. Once the media or politicians slap on a label — “riot,” “protest,” “insurrection,” “movement” — public opinion locks in.
A “protest” sounds noble.
A “riot” sounds criminal.
An “insurrection” sounds like the finale of a bad movie.
So when a mob chants “Hang Pence” inside the Capitol and gets called “peaceful,” while people chanting “Immigrants are humans” get called “violent,” that’s not confusion — that’s bias with a flag draped over it.
Step 4: What the Cartoon Really Says
It’s not about left vs. right — it’s about how power shapes perception.
People in power get to define what’s “acceptable anger.”
If you fit the right image — white, conservative, waving the stars and stripes — you might get a pass.
If you don’t — brown, masked, shouting for reform — you’re a threat.
Same rage, different ratings.
Step 5: Why It’s Funny (and Sad)
Humor in this cartoon comes from the absurdity of the mismatch. It’s the kind of laugh that makes you wince.
Like when someone yells “LAW AND ORDER!” while breaking down a government door.
Or when the guy with a zip tie and war paint is “defending democracy,” but a woman with a poster is “destroying it.”
It’s funny because it’s true — and depressing because it’s still true.
Step 6: The Moral of the Story
The cartoon isn’t saying one side is good and the other is bad. It’s saying: be consistent.
If storming a federal building is “peaceful protest,” then holding a sign in the street sure as hell isn’t “insurrection.”
Pick a lane, America.
Until then, Zyglis’ cartoon stands as a tiny two-panel masterpiece of modern hypocrisy — a reminder that we can’t keep calling the mob with pitchforks “patriots” and the people holding posters “problems.”
Closing Thought
Next time you hear someone described as a “protester” or an “insurrectionist,” don’t just ask what they did.
Ask who is doing the labeling — because that’s where the real story lives.
And if all else fails, remember:
When someone shouts “Hang Pence,” that’s not a peaceful suggestion.
