One of these scenes is not like the other! 

By Mark Salley | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

A protest is going on. 

In Scenario One, 

a woman starts to enter a secure area via a broken window. An officer inside the secure area, pulls his gun and shoots the woman dead.

In Scenario Two, 

a woman has been obstructing officers in their duty to enforce the law. The woman, using her car as a weapon, drives her vehicle toward the officer, hitting him — and being shot dead by the officer.

In Scenario One,

the female protestor has no weapon and has not been impeding officers in the performance of their duty.  

In Scenario Two,

the female protestor has a weapon — the vehicle she is driving and is using it to impede and possibly injure officers and bystanders.  

In Scenario One, 

progressive-leftists say the officer’s killing of the woman was justified, no charges are brought against the officer. The officer goes on his merry way.

In Scenario Two, 

progressive leftists say the officer murdered the woman who used her vehicle as a weapon to harm him. What becomes of this case and this officer? Time will tell.  

One of these scenes is not like the other!  What’s the takeaway?   

One woman had no weapon and posed no threat. The other woman was using (driving) her weapon and using it to obstruct justice. Both women were killed. 

The progressive left makes a martyr out of the woman wielding the weapon — the vehicle. But…of the woman with no weapon, progressive leftists say she received what was coming to her…a bullet.

Scenario One 

is the case of Ashli Babbitt, who was among protestors at the nation’s capital on Jan. 6, 2021, and who was shot dead by Lt. Michael Byrd of the U.S. Capitol Police.

Rightly or wrongly…Lt. Byrd was cleared of wrongdoing by the Justice Department and the Capitol Police.

Scenario Two 

is the case of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE officer during an immigration-enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026.

Let’s hope and pray, this ICE officer…is rightly cleared of wrongdoing…as he acted in self-defense.

Lt. Byrd did not act in self-defense.  

It’s time for the progressive left to stop defending lawbreakers and start defending law enforcement.

Mark Salley served as deputy press secretary to former Colorado Gov. Bill Owens during the final 18 months of his second term. His background includes media relations work with Xcel Energy and serving as editor of the former Front Range Journal in Idaho Springs. In 2000, he was selected as a Colorado Voices columnist for the Denver Post.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.