If we are to believe President Trump, the greatest threat to America is NOT the COVID-19 virus, but the danger posed by the radical left and its thugs to America’s (mostly white) suburbs. “No more suburbia,” the president seemed to enjoy rolling off his tongue in an ominous tone, just to make sure the dog whistle was a blasting bullhorn. Tactics of this sort recall the 1968 presidential campaigns of Richard Nixon and George Wallace on steroids. (Steroids hadn’t yet been invented when I was alive on the earth, but I find it a very apt expression to describe much of President Trump’s actions of late.) It’s hard to believe anyone will be distracted by this nonsense when thousands of Americans are still dying from COVID-19, but the President is doing everything he can to make his ridiculous campaign messages hold water.
Among the president’s latest efforts to stoke unrest and divisiveness, he has dispatched federal law enforcement officers to Portland, OR to detain protesters, abducting people off the street without probable cause. This is getting into secret police territory, folks. According to acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf, “The city of Portland has been under siege for 47 straight days by a violet mob, while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect the city. Each night lawless anarchists destroy and desecrate property . . .” Fine and dandy, Mr. Secretary, but if you ask me, it still sounds all too much like what goes on in countries like Egypt, Turkey or Iraq. And next we might have right-wing militia pretending to be federal officers grabbing people off the street. It’s obvious the possibilities for disastrous escalation of such tactics are endless.
Most “mask protesters” are all too happy to see people of color dead.
Even though COVID’s worst killing ground has shifted to the South and Southwest (mostly the result of many states opening up way too soon!), data shows it is still impacting people of color in disproportionate numbers. I’d be the first to say that people who refuse to wear a mask have the right to kill themselves however they choose, but unfortunately, given the way the disease impacts the elderly and people with existing health conditions (especially diabetes, new data has shown), their behavior is serving to sicken and often kill innocent people whose circumstances make them most susceptible to the disease, including many service workers and front-line responders. Let’s face it, many “mask protesters” would be all too happy to see people of color in America dead anyway. Along with the Trump administration and all the (mostly Republican) governors and other government officials who have been fighting against mandatory mask orders, there’s no denying these people have blood on their hands.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Trump wants to be reelected at any cost and his enablers seem willing to tolerate any behavior to keep their guy in office, the result being that COVID’s victims are nothing but collateral damage along the way.