I’m writing to support the wisdom expressed in Dan Cook’s letter regarding the pepper spray incident on the Templeton overpass as it portends the threats to our democracy faced by all of us (“Templeton pepper spray attack is a symptom of political leaders’ rhetoric,” Sept. 29). Many downplay the similarities between the promotion of right-wing violence to the leadup to WWII, but make no mistake the signs are all around us. Not only in this country, with the likes of Steve Bannon’s enlisting millions to his “no plan,” which “is to leave a smoldering crater where our institutions once were,” but also the likes of Italy, which has just elected a new prime minister who is from Mussolini’s Fascist party. We all need to open our eyes to the very real threats to our democratic institutions, however flawed. They have served us for more than 200 years. Let’s not submit to the “burning it down” vigilantes.
Linda M Poverny
Morro Bay
This article appears in Oct 6-16, 2022.
This writer seems confused when she attributes this attack to “right wing violence”, since the perp is a registered Democrat. She also fails to consider that far more violence, including murders, arson and looting, occurred during the left wing riots in the summer of 2020, than in anything conducted by right wingers. I suppose she neglects to mention it because she considers it “good” political violence, and because it was endorsed by elected liberal figures like Kamala Harris and Cori Bush. And while many of us worry about a totalitarian regime coming to power, we note that it is the left which censors the news on social media to serve an ideological agenda, figuring that labeling opposing opinions as “fake news” or “hate speech” is a somehow conclusive and convenient explanation for their censorship. Just look at their current panic over Elon Musk’s promise to have Twitter stop censoring conservative views. Perhaps ALL political violence should be condemned, not just the “other side’s”.
And what about the “peaceful” burning of our cities and attacks on innocent people having dinner during 2020? You provoke violence, you get it in return.
Less government, the Constitution as law, lower taxes, less onerous regulations on businesses, and securing personal liberties, is the exact opposite of Fascism.
Too many people from the left, have no need for reality.
Abide by the limits of The Constitution which means
repealing or declaring UnConstitutional all the laws and agencies not listed in Section 8 Article 1 immediately.
If Congress feels any are essential, pass them down to the States where residents can approve or reject at the ballot box,
Memo to Denier Donegan: As if “registered Democrat” explains away the actual incident. One of the victims of the bear spray assault told me that the combat-booted violent harasser was angrily brandishing a US Constitution in the faces of the demonstrators – a favorite tactic of MAGA nationalists. The right wing assailant also accused the demonstrators of being complicit in “the murder of babies,” although their signs only promoted democracy and the election of Supervisor Bruce Gibson. The right wing assailant also yelled about having a Bible in his backpack along with his weapon, the bear spray. A fundamentalist literally weaponizing the Bible was a prelude to making a criminal physical assault. His words and deeds associates the attacker with christo-fascism and the MAGA base. That is, the violent MAGA insurrectionists of Jan. 6, 2021, who tried to invalidate the results of the 2020 election.
Memo to Fantasizing Fugilie: What part of “Democrat” is unclear? The Democrats are the part of the open border,inflationary economics, woke politics,defunding the police, etc., and registering as a .party member is an endorsement of those policies. And while you lefties like to label onservatives as “fascists”, which party uses thugs like antifa to attack peaceful demonstrators, riots to promote policy, or censors competing views, as left-leaning social media like Facebook and Twitter have done. Which party indoctrinates schoolchildren? You leftists are clearly emulating the Brownshirts of pre-war Germany. Your violent party member was just acting like a violent attack dog,who in his assaultive frenzy, took a nip out of his owner.