Letter: Dumbfounded by the direction of the Republican Party
What is going on with Republicans in our country, and just exactly where is the party headed? I live in a Republican state and most of my family and friends are members of the Republican Party, so I am NOT going to use words like unhinged, crazy, delusional, or stupid. But let’s look at some current events and see if we can put a name to these people.
1. The Big Lie, Stop the Steal, Rigged Election. There are some smart people out there who are raging about how the election was rigged and stolen from Trump. Many of Trump’s attorneys might be disbarred for bringing frivolous lawsuits in Federal court. The clown show in Arizona, auditing the election results trying to find bamboo fibers in the ballots to prove they came from China. What name can you put to people who believe this nonsense?
2. The attack on our Capitol on Jan. 6th. Again smart people are calling this just a regular “tourist” event, or perpetrated by Antifa to make Trump look bad. One representative says those arrested are “political prisoners” and even Trump says that Ashlee Babbitt is a martyr. They call themselves patriots but I don’t think patriots is the correct word for people who commit insurrection. So what name do we use for the rioters and those who thought it was completely acceptable?
3. Covid pandemic. I thought we were just getting out of this nightmare, but not yet. Take the shot, don’t take the shot, that is a personal choice. But don’t use your celebrity and pulpit to spread disinformation. Don’t threaten, intimidate, or use violence on school boards or county commissions when they want to require masks. Don’t spread misinformation on bogus cures that can cause greater harm.
In a democracy we use debate, discussions, compromise to settle differences and decide policy. Sometimes your side wins, sometimes your side loses. It seems like the Republicans want to use violence to ensure their policy is accepted. So do we call these people normal, clear thinking, rational, and if so then my original question: Just exactly where are we headed?
Stephen Harris
Roy