It is time to address the toxic environment that pervades politics, both at the state and federal level. There have always been disagreements about how to best address domestic and foreign policy, but it is obvious that today’s political environment has exploded daily into hatred, bigotry, and prejudice not seen in more than a century.
The base of the Republican Party has sunk into levels of disdain for fellow human beings with hatred for the “other” fanned by overt bigots and racists at Fox “News” and other far right wing media.
Since the Fairness Doctrine was scrapped by the Reagan administration, cable TV personalities can spew hatred and defamatory statements daily without fear of retribution or opposing view points. The recent January 6th Congressional hearings show how close our country was to a coup by the loyal followers of a presidential loser who refused to concede his defeat gracefully. Now we hear that the Secret Service sworn to protect him and his family have “lost” all text messages for January 5th and 6th 2021.
This is the same SS that cooperated with Congress for their Clinton impeachment investigation headed by a Republican Special Prosecutor who asked the Secret Service for info on visits to Mr. Clinton by Ms. Lewinsky. Kenneth Starr started investigating the Clinton’s for a land deal in Arkansas and instead focused on a consensual sexual act by the President.
Bigotry and racism have been around since civilization started, but when one party embraces this cancer, individual rights and liberties are the casualties. Today’s targets of bigotry are Muslims, immigrants, and people of color and different races. Hate crimes are a daily occurrence. More unarmed blacks are gunned down by law enforcement without any consequences. The roundup by horseback of Haitian refugees near Del Rio, Texas reminded historians of slave owners chasing down their “property” who had attempted escape. Would Border Patrol have chased down blond and blue eyed refugees from Ukraine with the same zeal? I doubt it. Today over 140 Republican candidates in several states are not accepting the results of the 2020 presidential election. Even people who took part in the mob insurrection on January 6th at the Capitol are running for state or national office. The more outrageous their claims the better their chances of getting elected. The Supreme Court (Extreme court?) is slowly eroding constitutional rights we used to take for granted.
All women are now fair game and targets for “conservative” Republicans who insist they know what is best for all women over health choices women should be making for themselves. Our own dictatorial governor Mr. Abbott, who defends and protects AR-15s more than school children or women, signed a Republican bill placing bounties on women who dare to consider abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or age.
I recommend the book Hatred, Bigotry, and Prejudice (Baird and Rosenbaum). If bigots can con enough people that hatred for fellow human beings is somehow what Jesus preached, they hope to take over eventually and have a theocracy instead of a democracy.
How have we come to this? We are regressing to the days when minorities and women had absolutely no rights except what white male politicians decided. All Republicans who are responsible for this “banality of evil” do so while wrapped in the American flag and carrying their Bibles and crosses. A fascist’s dream come true.
In liberty.
David Almaraz
Sometimes I become nostalgic for the years I taught history. Back in 1768 New Orleans had about 5,000 inhabitants. Spain appointed Louisiana’s first Spanish territorial governor. About 1,000 French and German settlers were led by members of the territorial council in a insurreccio that successfully ousted the governor at gunpoint before he’d even taken office. A few months later he was replaced by Spanish Governor, Alejandro O’Reilly, who promptly had 12 insurrection leaders arrested. Their trial lasted 3 months.On October 24 six insurrection leaders received death sentences (one of them died in prison), the others received prison sentences of from three years to life in El Morro, Cuba. One was acquitted. The five were immediately executed by firing squad the next morning. Lord! How I wish for the old days with an O’Reilly at the Department of Justice!