Schadenfreude is not a very kind emotion, and it can veer dangerously into hubris (which, the Greeks tell us, the gods always punish). Nevertheless, schadenfreude has to be the dominant emotion when a black Democrat who is married to Los Angeles's first black district attorney brandishes a gun at Black Lives Matter activists who showed up early in the morning to protest the D.A.'s belief that her job requires her to prosecute criminals.

In addition to Jackie Lacey, the D.A., and her husband, David, the prime actor in this drama is Melina Abdullah, who identifies herself on Twitter as a "Professor of Pan-African Studies at Cal State LA, #BlackLivesMatter organizer, Pan-Africanist, Hip Hop scholar, womanist, truth-teller, mama." According to Abdullah's speaker's page, she is the ultimate woke scholar, for she is "a recognized expert on race, gender, class, and social movements." Also, she's "a womanist scholar-activist, understanding the role that she plays in the academy as intrinsically linked to broader struggles for the liberation of oppressed people." And one more thing: She's a bully who cries foul when people stand up to her.

According to Abdullah, she and a crowd of BLM protesters showed up early in the morning at Jackie Lacey's house for a "community meeting she promised" and "[r]ang her bell to invite her." Apparently, David Lacey did not feel that this was a friendly invitation. Instead, he opened the door with a gun in hand, warning the activists to leave or get shot and that he was calling the police:

I’m front of DA Jackie Lacey’s house for that community meeting she promised with the @BLMLA crew. Rang her bell to invite her.



Her husband pulled a gun, cocked it, pointed it at my chest and said “I’ll shoot you. I don’t care who you are.” @WP4BL @RealJusticePAC @shaunking pic.twitter.com/WtazUWSJIC — Melina Abdullah (@DocMellyMel) March 2, 2020

More information revealed that Abdullah's "I'm a victim" pose had little to do with the truth. At a press conference later in the day, Jackie Lacey explain what was going on: BLM activists resented the fact that she was acting like a district attorney:

The key takeaways from Lacey's press conference are quite different from Abdullah's version:

Lacey also revealed that protesters have been intimidating her in public and in private, including sending death threats, and have shown up at her home before. "Up until now, I have not really wanted to share with you what it's been like," said Lacey. "As District Attorney of LA County, I've received threats, some of them death threats. I have been followed, photographed while with my family, confronted at an art museum, confronted at fundraisers." "All of this is because I chose to do my job," said Lacey. "We expect that people will exercise their First Amendment right. But our home is our sanctuary, and we do not believe — I do not believe — it is fair or right for protesters to show up at the homes of people who dedicate their lives to public service." "I don't think you ever get used to anybody coming to your house. It was frightening," said Lacey. "I deal with this in a calm manner so people think that I'm used to it. Well, I'm here to tell you that I'm not."

It also turned out that despite Abdullah's claim that she "just wanted to talk," that's not really what she wants:

During the press conference, Lacey affirmed that she has been willing to meet with BLM activists, but that the group only wants large events, not small gatherings or one-on-one meetings. "It seems like what they like is to embarrass me and intimidate me," said Lacey. "My hope is that one day that might change. That maybe, just maybe, if I keep reaching out, that someone will want to sit down and have a conversation that's productive."

The beauty of this moment is that it's all on the Democrat side of the aisle. The internecine warfare that is breaking down the left is beautiful to behold for those of us who believe we, the American people, are one, rather than that we're dozens of victim groups fighting for our share of government largesse.

Additionally, when one sees a black man wielding a (presumably) legal gun to defend his home and family, we are seeing the Second Amendment in action. When faced with a threatening mob, every American should have some firepower at his back. Kudos to David Lacey for acting appropriately when threatened.