I am in Florida. What happened this weekend horrifies me. I hope all the friends and relatives of the victims can put their lives back together as best as they can. And I hope the State of Florida and the United States of America will take the necessary actions to make it harder for homicidal maniacs to get their hands on the weapons that make such attacks possible.
The statements of certain politicians have also been (albeit far less) horrifying. (At least as long as said politicians lack power.) All I can add to the debate being conducted in living rooms, bars, social media, television, and among politicians is that America has seen similar cries before ... and we have reacted far worse. Admittedly, the threat during the first Red Scare and World War 2 was far greater. But while one particular fearmongering crybaby has not been earning any respect ... in general, thus far, the reaction of the American public has been good. Even if not all their elected leaders have been profiles in courage, few have openly piled on.
I pray that continues.
Sometimes the worst reactions after a crisis actually take time to build, once the noble helping-people impulses subside and the fear and anger remain. So we may not be seeing the worst of it yet.
But it's genuinely astonished me that the reaction to Trump's demagoguery has been as negative as it is; I thought people would generally eat it up.
It actually occurs to me that George W. Bush, for all his faults, had much better political instincts when he played to the country after 9/11: you don't start screaming "keep out the Muslims, good for me, I was right" like a scary blowhard; you make your rhetoric inclusive and magnanimous and reassuring, and rely on the situation to demagogue itself so you can push through a neocon agenda anyway. Of course he had the advantage of already being President.
Posted by: Matt McIrvin | June 14, 2016 at 11:52 PM
Jesus, liberals. What, precisely, was the threat during the First Red Scare? That Palmer might not impress his patrons? That African-Americans might get to live without getting Tulsa-ed? That the IWW might organize some poor blokes and increase the workers' standard of living?
Please, tell me this was a poorly phrased way of saying the US was threatened by dipshit racists and the usual mass hysteria fed by racism, and not an attempt to imply that there were, truly, Reds Under Our Beds.
Posted by: CV6287 | June 15, 2016 at 11:23 PM
The anonymous troll is back! I'll admit, you are amusingly ecumenical, if that's the word. It is weird to imply that I think Palmer did the right thing, of course.
Why the anonymity, though? I don't understand the source of the amusement, although you are amusing!
Posted by: Noel Maurer | June 15, 2016 at 11:30 PM