Violence in Our Politics

   In October, 2022, Naomi and I visited Charlottesville, Virginia, to tour Jefferson’s Monticello and see Madison’s estate. Local election campaigning was underway. There were political signs along the scenic rural hill roads. Many Democrat candidate signs had bullet holes. I was recently reminded of that because along a rural road near where we live in New Bern, North Carolina, pro-Democrat campaign signs have been stolen or run over or defaced.

   During a February, 2016, primary rally in Las Vegas, Trump pointed at a protester who was being escorted out of the area and said, “The guards are being very gentle with him. I’d like to punch him in the face. You know what they used to do to a guy like that in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher.” The crowd cheered.

   After Trump had verbally attacked and defamed Nancy Pelosi repeatedly, far-right conspiracy theorist David DePape broke into the Pelosi home and attacked Nancy’s husband, Paul, with a hammer, leaving him permanently impaired. During a September California rally this year, Trump said he would “stand up to crazy Nancy Pelosi” if reelected president, asking his supporters, “How’s her husband doing by the way?” Prompting laughter from the crowd.

   With the impending certification of the Biden victory, and after several attempts to reverse the results that included: 60-plus fraud right-wing lawsuits across the country (all dismissed for lack of proof), claims that Dominion voting machines had been tampered with to favor Biden, repeatedly backed up by Fox News (claims that were later debunked and resulted in a three-quarter-billion-dollar defamation judgement against Fox), a recorded phone plea by Trump to Georgia Attorney General Brad Raffensperger asking him to “find” enough votes to reverse the outcome in Trump’s favor, a similar failed call to Republican Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, and a failed fake elector scheme, Trump still refused a peaceful transfer of power and insisted the election had been stolen. He summoned thousands of supporters to Washington, telling them, “Be there. It will be wild.” He harangued them at length, telling them they’d better “. . . fight like hell or you’re not gonna have a country left.” Knowing they were armed, he sent them against the Capitol under their Trump banners, and fight they did, beating and severely injuring Capitol Police, battering their way inside, and ransacking the seat of our nation’s democracy. For three hours Trump watched the riot unfold on TV in the White House, refusing even pleas from his own family to call it off until law enforcement was gaining control anyway. He called the rioters (hundreds of them since legally convicted and serving time) “patriots” and “hostages” and has vowed to pardon them if elected.

   The bipartisan January 6 Select Committee hearings exposed the sordid attack details, and almost all the many witnesses were Republicans. (If you doubt the findings, watch at least the last hearing.) People who stood up for the truth, like Republican committee vice-chair Liz Cheney, Republican committee member, congressman, and veteran Air Force pilot Adam Kinzinger, and volunteer election worker Ruby Freeman received death threats.

   Trump has said in recorded quotations, “If I don’t get elected it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” and that cracking down on immigrants “. . . will be a bloody story.”

   The recent Trump and Vance claims that Haitian immigrants (in this country legally under asylum law) in Springfield, Ohio, were eating their neighbors’ pets have been debunked. The Haitians have, in fact, been a welcome addition to that community, hard-working and respected. Yet anonymous bomb threats have besieged Springfield, disrupting lives, stressing law enforcement, and frightening children in school lock downs.

   Are you noticing a thread here? MAGA leaders and their Minions obviously inspire, embrace, and promote violence. And all too often carry it out. Parallels to the early rise of Nazi Germany, which was founded on lies and political violence, are hard to ignore.

   Is this the America you want?

Phil

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Please consider donating to one of the agencies bringing relief to all the people who have lost everything to Helene—loved ones, homes, businesses, jobs, treasured possessions. In researching for my novels, set largely in the rugged and beautiful Great Smokies, I’ve come to know many of the fine souls who live and work there. Naomi and I grieve for them during this devastating crisis.