Bigots have the right to say what they want. However, citizens also have the right and responsibility to confront hate and ignorance for what it is. Somehow, we have permitted the reality television phenomenon to pervade and desensitize our values to such an extent that some of us are enamored by outrageous spewing by people who enjoy fighting in public that includes hostile language and even physical violence.
Commingled with that, we have the Republican political party trolling for votes beyond the top 5% of wealthy persons. The party knows that it cannot garner a winning number among the middle class unless they dig deep into the poorest and most ignorant rung. There, they must segregate the audience because their message is unappealing to African Americans and Latinos.
What can they do? They can appeal to people based upon race. They can position as the party for white people. They can employ fear as a tactic to divide the public such that they skim some poor white and right-wing religious persons to their side.
Meanwhile, opportunistic broadcasters, often who lack academic and professional credentials, are making a living by using hateful and bigoted ideas, packaging them as political and religious conservatism, and attempting to make their messages sound patriotic.
Now, with the help of candidate Donald Trump, they are refining their message by saying explicitly and symbolically, "We are for white men. And, we are for law and order that we intend to enforce our way."
Here is an example:
Former Rep. Joe Walsh -- under fire for a deleted tweet saying "This is now war" against President Barack Obama following the killings of Dallas police officers -- defended his rhetoric Friday.
Walsh, a former tea party congressman from Illinois and now a conservative talk radio host, tweeted in the wake of the Dallas shootings, "3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you.”
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/08/politics/joe-walsh-obama-war-tweet/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_wonk
"Donald Trump turns up the racially charged rhetoric with three simple words
By Max Ehrenfreund July 18 at 1:01 PM
Donald Trump is calling himself the candidate of law and order. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)
Ahead of the Republican national convention in Cleveland this week, Donald Trump is doubling down on a phrase burdened by the country's history of racial strife.
"We have to bring law and order back to this country," the presumptive nominee said on Fox & Friends Monday morning.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/18/donald-trump-turns-up-the-racially-charged-rhetoric-with-3-simple-words/
Spewing hatred.
The 'Law and Order' Candidate
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