The recent election in Virginia affirmed my belief and hope that ultimately, in the US, truth will out and the forces of leftist ideology and demagoguery will be defeated.
But the reaction of the Democrats also showed that we’re dealing with a party who is deluded, demented, or both.
A major reason why voters moved away from Democrats was their distaste for the increasingly leftist agenda they’re seeing, especially in the “Build Back Better” bill. They do not want the government spending trillions more on lavish social programs that need to be funded by the addition of 80,000 IRS agents to suck more tax revenue out of the productive class.
And yet, Joe Biden, among others, believed the losses were because they didn’t pass that bill. Here’s what he said on Oct. 3rd: “…that’s why I’m continuing to push very hard for the Democratic Party to move along and pass my infrastructure bill and my Build Back Better bill.”
While I understand that tactically, you may need to appear to stick to your guns or continue to evince confidence in the merits of your legislative agenda, but if Democrats continue to push this radical bill, the main thing they will accomplish is to show us all that they are deluded beyond belief.
And no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, it’s not good for our country to have significant chunks of the political and media classes operating under such a heavy cloud of delusion. We need clarity, honesty, and fact-based understanding of what’s happening in our country in order to have a shot at fixing the problems.
But how can we expect the Democrats to move towards the light when their entire worldview is so clouded in darkness? By this I mean their other theory as to why they suffered such losses, which is that America is — wait for it — hopelessly racist.
The examples of liberal media types blaming the results on endemic racism are too numerous to list, but let’s focus on how Terry McAuliffe characterized the campaign of his opponent, Glenn Youngkin: “He’s run a racist campaign from start to finish.”
Other commentators said the white women who shifted from Biden to Youngkin were fans of “white supremacy.” Nice. Vote for us, you’re good. Vote against us, you’re vicious racists.
Besides the craven, self-serving nature of such comments, they are expressions of a kind of demented worldview, where either you honestly believe a huge chunk of your fellow Americans are inveterate racists, or you believe it’s okay to lie about that in order to score political points.
In either case, we are talking about an egregious violation of the ninth commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” What’s interesting is that there isn’t a commandment explicitly against lying in general. It’s as if God himself said something like: “Look, I know you humans can’t help yourself and are going to lie about big things and little things, but at the very least, don’t lie about your neighbor!”
While we may lie to avoid pain or gain a benefit, especially when doing so doesn’t seem to hurt anyone, when we lie about our neighbor, we do real damage to their reputation and stature within the community. Such damage can result in loss of income or friends or esteem. There is no possible benefit from doing so, and the person who does the lying injures themselves greatly as well. (Lying is not good for the soul!)
So, by lying about their fellow Americans to such a large decree, by characterizing all Trump voters as inherently racist, Democrats engage in behavior that I can only call demented because of how untrue and hurtful it is to our nation and our people.
Such delusional and demented thinking will ultimately bring defeat for the Democrats, but not before it does significant harm to our country, to our discourse, and to our ability to trust and love one another in spite of our differences.
I know that not all liberals or Democrats think this way and that many sincerely believe that expanding government programs is necessary or that racism is a real threat to our nation. But I would say look at the evidence: look at how badly Democrats did by supporting Biden’s legislation and attacking their opponents as racist. And, look at your neighbors and fellow community members. Are they hateful racists, sexists, or bigots? I think not.
We are a fundamentally good people that seek to do the right thing, but we cannot do the right thing together if we foster hatred for truth or our fellow man.
Trey Hoffman
Peachtree City, Ga.
Sorry I’ve been AWOL and missed so much opportunity for mud-slinging.
I did want to address one of the Gish Gallop of points that Mr Hoffman trots out, because he said it in such an interesting way here. He’s giving grace to those who may disagree with him and says:
“I know that not all liberals or Democrats think this way and that many sincerely believe that expanding government programs is necessary or that racism is a real threat to our nation.”
This means, I believe, that Mr H does NOT believe racism is a “real threat” to our nation. And this is very telling. For HIM and other white folks, racism is NOT a real threat to our nation because it doesn’t touch us. THIS is the problem POC and others are asking Trey and the white majority to confront. Confront racism NOT because it touches you, but because it touches your fellow Americans of color. No one is saying Trey himself is a racist who would go out of his way to ensure that POC don’t experience success — but we are saying the white majority has the power to end systems that DO ensure many POC can’t experience success.
Is racism a “real threat” to our nation? It depends on what you classify as a threat. If you think a country where POC are always relegated to the bottom rung of society by any metric from income equality to life expectancy is a successful nation, then racism is not a threat to our nation. If you think that a nation where any class of people is perennially left behind in education, healthcare, opportunities, etc. is an unsuccessful nation, then yes, racism is a threat to our nation. And a stain on the honor of a place that claims there is liberty and justice for all!
There is no way Trey or any of us can honestly deny that there are systems of oppression in the USA that keep POC from the full rights of citizenship. If we want to maintain our comfortable, white, middle-class lives and ignore that and say we aren’t racist because we don’t hate POC, then let’s just be honest and say: racism isn’t a threat to me, so I don’t care.
People all have flaws. Systems are run by people so systems all have flaws. Thus the wisdom of our founders with three branches for checks and balances. So let’s stop arguing the meta narrative and psycho babble and deal with one tangible problem at a time. Clearly the far left and far right are off the rails and we need to stop giving them oxygen. Though I must say the left is more densely populated but first let’s agree that trillions and trillions of spending for anything is utter stupidity – unless we’re working together to stop an earth killing meteor.
Suz why does the race of the jurors matter? If you think the trial cannot be fair because of the color of the jurors skin, then YOU have a racist bias. Likewise if you think a jury of 12 black people would have found the defendants guilty, then YOU are racist for thinking that a black individual will automatically convict just because of the skin color of the victim matches theirs. You give no credence to their intellect or character or ability to make a sound decision.
If the quality of the jurors’ character is legitimate, a guilty defendant will be found guilty – regardless of the color of anyones skin.
I agree to a certain extent –
Jury of one’s peers
n. a guaranteed right of criminal defendants, in which “peer” means an “equal.” This has been interpreted by courts to mean that the available jurors include a broad spectrum of the population, particularly of race, national origin and gender. Jury selection may include no process which excludes those of a particular race or intentionally narrows the spectrum of possible jurors. It does not mean that women are to be tried by women, Asians by Asians, or African Americans by African Americans.
As much as anyone doesn’t want to believe it – race does matter in situations like this. People of different races experience life in a different ways. What people believe and how they conduct themselves gives each one of us a different perspective of what is right or wrong. Some are blatant right or wrongs and some are many different shades of such. With that said, as a society, I believe we strive to not see color and want us all to be a homogeneous group of people, but we’re not there yet. I’m not certain we can actually get there and sustain that kind of society, but I believe it’s a worthy endeavor. It will always be a work in progress because, well… we’re human.
I don’t believe Suz is suggesting a jury of all one race. I do believe she is suggesting a jury represented by a “broad spectrum of the population, particularly of race, national origin and gender.” Is that to much to ask for?
11 white jurors during this national white guilt crusade? The defendants are toast. Those guys would be wishing they had all black jurors.
brewster–
Not white guilt; accountability.
Exactly. Being held accountable for the sins of the fathers ushers in guilt in most.
So, who is accountable for the sins of their father? Doesn’t sound humane to me.
No. Doesn’t seem humane at all, which can cause a person’s judgement to be skewed if they dwell too much on the reasons why are start believing it.
Nothing about the sins of the sons and daughters?
Oh yes. Sons and daughters and generations to come for the sins yet to be committed.
And the sins committed in the present. Why is it so hard to admit that? Why skirt around the present sins?
Dear brewster–
As I see it, not accountability for the sins of our fathers; rather for the system which resulted from those sins. A biased system that obviously still exists and should be made to guarantee equal treatment for all.
I view that truly humane for all sons and daughters.
Suz – thats the sins I speak of – that results in today’s system. That’s just more reasons for the guilt. Having a jury with 11 white folk and just one colored person may not have the outcome you suspect in the particular case. I believe it could be the opposite of what you think.
While that may very well be true, the outcome, while important, doesn’t absolve the inequalities in getting to said outcome.
The ones that want to denigrate the process and use phrases like “white guilt” don’t really want to address the problem. They like to make a fuss and pretend they are the victim. In doing so, they can rally the troops with their terrible plight.
Thank you for the clarification, brewster; and for the thoughtful responses, Dawn.
I suggest it is not “white guilt” many of us are feeling. We simply realize that we, as middle-class
white citizens, have had every advantages from birth; advantages denied to people of color (especially the poor). And we are willing to acknowledge that we continue to benefit from a system( and society) that we have come to view as unjust. To me, it is simply a fact.
Does this thinking make me, as the_wing_t says,
“racially biased”? I imagine it does. Aren’t we all?
I always bristle when I hear, “I don’t have a racist bone in my body” or “I don’t see color”.
I was raised in the 50s by a southern father; sadly yes, I was taught ignorant and fearful opinions. But I
do my best to eradicate those when they arise; and I endeavor to never act upon them.
I still maintain that the jury seated in the Arbery case is not so much a reflection on the integrity of the individual jurors. It’s more a reflection on our society.
The integrity of the black prospective jurors who honestly answered the questions, revealed their lack of faith in the system.
It is past time for each of us to do the right thing and usher in a more equitable society. Being honest with our own selves would be a good start.
Funny, Trey’s concern for truth and honesty didn’t prevent him from voting for the guy for the sleaziest liar to ever besmirch public office. He’s a-ok with “lavish social programs” for billionaires too, apparently. I’m guessing he’s also “pro life”, until those little leeches exit the birth canal, then they’d better grow some bootstraps, right?
The hypocrisy of the “right” is sickening.
Trey Hoffman–
Once again I am amazed at your bad, bad timing. Your words feel like salt in a wound.
You maintain it is “delusional and demented” to acknowledge that there is a problem of systematic racism.
Can you perhaps understand why we are tempted to feel (as you
flippantly put it), “America is–wait for it–hopelessly racist” when
the “Top News” AJC story the same day as your letter declares, “11 white jurors, 1 Black man seated in Arbery case.”?
“Hatred for truth or our fellow man” is not what is in our hearts (nor what we vote for). It is a love for justice and equality for our fellow man. Delusional and demented as it apparently seems.