I’m confused! How did I become a supporter of radical socialism? When did socialists start telling people that they couldn’t worship where they wanted? Why does wearing a mask to stop a pandemic mean you are being controlled by the government?
Is my very patriotic Swedish cousin doomed because she lives in a “socialist” country? Why are so many of the speakers at the Republican Convention so riled up and emotional? As a Democrat, why am I labeled a radical leftist? I always thought that Marxists, Leninists, anarchists and communists were the radical left. What am I missing?
I am also frightened, although I try to remember that “we have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
I watched speaker after speaker at the GOP convention talk almost hysterically about what evils will befall this country if the Democrats are allowed to win. Then I feel like I’m back in the 1930’s watching Hitler appeal to the patriotism of the German people, my mother included. Even though she would be excluded from the return to greatness because of her Jewish ancestry, she loved her country and was moved by the passion of the speeches. Of course, she learned the hard way that the truth was not the picture that was being painted.
It’s hard to believe that there are followers of the Q conspiracy theories who believe that “the radical left” is operating a sex tra ffi cking ring. They even believe these leftists are eating children. That’s what the propaganda of Nazi Germany said about Jewish people. It worked enough then that ordinary Germans allowed and sometimes participated in killing millions of people. It’s hard to believe that the leader of our country doesn’t speak out against this. Does he really want to be supported by these people?
Let’s be honest. More than 170,000 people have died in this country from Covid-19 and the chief administrator of our federal government has not organized a unified response.
Our climate is changing because of global warming but our president has arranged for environmental protections to be lifted.
Black people in our country must wonder every day if they will be targeted because of the color of their skin but the GOP continues to focus on defending property and gun ownership above human life. Donald Trump puts on a good show but he makes false statements over and over. We can and must do better.
This morning I saw a yard sign that says “Common Sense Matters.” I totally agree. Surely we won’t let emotional appeals to the love we have for our country or to our fear of anyone who doesn’t think like us “pull the wool over our eyes.” My very down-to-earth farmer Dad taught me to think for myself and use my own best judgment. I was also taught to listen to all sides when trying to understand what’s really going on. That’s why in our house we check all the news channels. Somewhere between the diff erent versions you can find the truth. Let’s use it to make common sense decisions.
Ferolyn Angell
Hancock
