To the Editor:
A couple of weeks ago, an LTTE stated that the “current Democratic rhetoric is there will be a ‘civil war’ if Republicans regain control of Congress.”But for a civil war to begin, people have to be highly motivated. They use language of fear, outrage, threat, and victimizationto make people willing to shed the blood of fellow citizens. This is the realm of Trumpian Republicans.These people are not “conservatives.” They are radicals who only want to conserve - and impose – their heritage, religion, and society. They demand “Freedom.” But only theirs, not yours.
The Charlottesville right-wing mob (one of whom killed a young woman) was deemed “good people” by Trump. Many Republicans defended young Rittenhouse when he armed, traveled, and gratuitously inserted himself into a protest and killed two men. It was right-wing extremists who be sieged the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump has invoked white nationalist terrorist groups including the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and “Q.” Far-Right militias have become part of national politics. Exhortations to “load and lock”are not coming from Democrats.
MTGreene (R-GA), who excels in spreading bizarre conspiracy theories, spoke at a Trump Rally last Saturday in MI and referenced two local news stories to support her baseless claim that Democrats are hunting down GOP voters. "I'm not going to mince words with you all," Greene said. "Democrats want Republicans dead. They've already started the killings.”She referenced two local stories, though the police in both cases reported they cannot establish a political motive.She is never one to let a tragedy go to political waste.
She made additional false and demagogic remarks. "Joe Biden has declared every freedom-loving American an enemy of the state," she said. But it was Trump who used this language, referring to President Biden as an “enemy of the state” in a rally in PA last month. If you work up the crowdenough, even an obvious lie can be sold. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) when confronted with the comments refused to disavow them. He’s got his base to feed.
The facts don’t matter to these people because truth is not useful to them. Incendiary language, alarm, and lies are what spark conflict. They and their fellow Trumpians learned from “the master.” The question is, how ginned-up can they get the audience, and will itmetastasize to their advantage?
Kelly Scoles
Fillmore