Here is an interesting thought. The news carries stories about lawyers, elected officials, people in high places, and rich people, being indicted in criminal state and federal courts. The crimes they are accused of seem to be part of a mobster-styled takeover of an entire country. There are a few cases that are not part of the mobocracy but are levered with a vengeful eye from that group. The web lies all across the country. At the same time there are state and federal courts seeing cases that try to lasso freedoms away from a host of people who live under a constitution which affords them freedom and equality. Most are set to relieve people of freedoms, such as voting, women’s personal autonomy and family planning, people’s gender identity, the machinery of a democratic society to shift it to a more oppressive and freedom free society. And all of this centers around a felon, sexual predator, failed business operator, a person running to become president of the United States. He speaks of gloom and doom, of hate and vengeance, and scowls most of the time but who has taken total control of one of America’s two-party system.
For people who listen to and read slightly-right and slightly left leaning news and use their critical thinking minds the decision about voting is clear. However, for those who choose to vote for the felon, sexual predator, and failed businessman, who offers gloomy, vengeful retribution, I ask them to think hard about how willing they are to live in a criminally controlled country. One where people, put in jail by juries of their peers, are let out and given positions that will control their daily lives and our country’s stature around the world.
We stand on the precipice of such a decision. It is up to every person to think hard and vote.
Gail Talbot
Sun City resident
Stand up against threatening or hateful speech before it before it becomes accepted as normal
I am writing in response to an appalling report by a Sun City resident who described the particularly vicious anonymous letter she received after submitting a factual letter to the “Hang Your Hat” feature of My Sunday News. The coward who sent the letter mentioned threats of sexual violence towards her grandchildren — all because he didn’t like the views she expressed.
The incident left me wondering how our much our basic standards of human decency towards each other have lowered lately — and what’s causing this erosion of respect we have for others. Many social scientists look to repeated and increasing examples by politicians, especially by our convicted president, for what’s referred to as politics of outrage. The danger is that after hearing repeated unchallenged lies, threats and hate talk, these things begin to seem be normal and acceptable to some.
Susceptible people, seeing their leaders talk and act this way, often mimic such words and actions, further trashing our expectations that individuals have an obligation to treat each other with respect at least publicly. And the more we hear hate speech and threats, the more “normal” they may seem.
How do we stop this negative trend? We need to recognize dangerous outrageous talk and actions for what they are and not be shy about calling them out. After hearing an offensive or threatening comment, gather your courage and make it clear that you do not believe such a threatening or hateful comment is acceptable. Politely but firmly point this out as a good example of Outrage politics which is not normal and shouldn’t be tolerated. If enough of us notice and speak up when words or behavior become shockingly intolerant or cruel, common decency may begin to make a comeback — a consequence I think most Americans would wholeheartedly welcome.
Remember when the insurrection was over and Americans breathed a sigh of relief that we could return to a more normal, civil times? Sadly, a vocal minority have continued using intimidation and politics of outrage to encourage fear and divisiveness and acceptance of harmful hateful words and behavior.
It’s time for patriotic citizens to say ENOUGH and stop letting such behavior and words become normal.
All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on — Unknown
Joan Davis
Sun City resident
Outrage is being felt by Republicans and Democrats and has captured the attention of many politicly detached Americans as well. It is found in photos of an American flag being flown upside down, according to the US Flag Code it is, “A signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.” You find upside-down flag photos over Trump’s auto caravan, over an institution named the Heritage Society, over a supreme court justice’s home, with people who fought to take over the US Capital on Jan. 6, 2021, and flown over trucks and autos by fervent supporters. All are meant to capture a citizen’s attention.
The rule of law came to bear on the former president this week, and in two other trials as well. In each, the slow machinery of the American justice system ground through evidence and determined verdicts. In all three Trump was found guilty. Following the latest verdict, he railed attacking Africans, Asians, Middle Easterners, and claimed – he saw – a line of Chinese, eighteen- to twentyfive-year-olds, with nice tents, propane stoves, and top of the line phones, coming in from Mexico, like bringing in an army. An untrue statement which will reverberate with his supporters, due to the press not vetting the accusation but releasing it across their media airwaves. Far-right news organizations, however, have repeatedly broadcast it propagating the lie as they do.
The unvetted lies, the trials, the loss of our social restraints contribute to outrage. While we cannot control lies, we should be able to control our responses using social restraints which guide us when speaking with people. We use body language and eye contact to gauge how and if we are being heard and if we are respectfully listening. This is not something that can be done in emails or texts but should guide us even as we write. Outrage is not beyond our control. The most important thing is that we offer our values, our understandings, and our respect.
Gail Talbot
Sun City resident
