The Witness Chronicles, July 19, 2024

We need to talk, all of us

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Spirited Dialog, Not Rote, Unquestioning Loyalty

The defining difference between MAGA and everyone else?

In the past few weeks I’ve been getting many comments, often lengthy and impassioned, about my wanting Joe Biden to step away for the good of the country. And I understand both sides, though recent events have reinforced my conviction.

But those comments defending the President have been civil and thoughtful and they make many great points, just as those who share my views have been equally thoughtful. I’ve been thinking about this dialog in the context of the rhetoric we are hearing at the Republican Convention.

The MAGA version of the Republican Party has no tolerance for dissent on any level and if a person dares to express an opinion that disagrees with their candidate, they are immediately marked as a traitor, a RINO, Republican In Name Only. And if they stick to their guns they are ostracized or even kicked out of the party.

And God forbid they should deviate from the norm in any way. We had two glaring examples this week. A Sikh woman delivered a speech on unity and was blasted with religious intolerance because she wore a headscarf and is not a Christian. And there was shock when it was discovered that J.D. Vance’s wife is Indian and a person of color.

And then there was the speech by a labor union head who spoke for workers and a more tolerant corporate attitude to the men and women who make their business possible. His speech shocked those who believe large corporations should be able to treat employees and the environment, among other things, any way they want to increase profits.

This from a party that pretends they represent the Everyman, the little guys.

I think the difference between dialog among Democrats and dialog among Republicans under Donald Trump tells us everything we should know about what a post-Trump win would look like. Intolerant. Demanding unquestioning loyalty. The creation of lesser castes made up of non-white, non-Christian, non-hetero people.

And that would only be the start. 

I freely exercise the right to express my opinion and respect the rights of others to do the same, if they are civil and open-minded. And, as a writer, I fear the loss of that right. It is hard enough to sustain a life saying what you think without fear of retribution.

It certainly isn’t about money because I pay a price for choosing this work, and it is financial. But under a Trump administration that price might be much higher than anything financial.

They have already assembled a hit list of those they will go after on day one. 380 names to start with but I have no doubt it grows everyday. And no one will know who makes those choices or why.

This kind of thing always gets out of hand. We saw it with the McCarthy Black List in the mid-fifties. A petty, vindictive man used his powers of anti-communist fear to destroy careers and lives until he was revealed as nothing more than a man out for personal revenge for perceived wrongs done to him personally.

That was a witch-hunt and history records dozens if not hundreds of them. In Nazi Germany they resulted in the deaths of seven million Jews and many Poles, disabled people, and anyone who disagreed with the government, that is to say, Adolf Hitler. That’s how far this kind of thing can go and it can go fast.

The ability to publish online gives writers the ultimate ability to express their freedom of speech on a mass scale. But there is a responsibility in this to be truthful and respectful, a responsibility the Republican Party has categorically rejected.

So, my little collection of comments has taken on more importance to me, even when I disagree with what you have to say. Especially when I disagree with what you say. I won’t censor or block unless they are violent or hateful, because I respect the right I have to express myself.

So, to my commenters, keep up the work and the dialog. It’s more important than you may think, more now than ever.

Martin Edic

~ I write The Grasshopper, an occasional letter on the creative life and it’s sister, mostly daily publication The Witness Chronicles, a place for my articles on politics and climate. They share a free and paid subscription. I don’t paywall any content in these, however this is how I live and I strongly believe all writers and creatives should get paid, if we provide value. Your support with a paid subscription helps make that happen. 

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Believe me, it makes my day. M