A recent letter asked for just one “brave” Democrat to denounce violent forms of protest, such as burning Teslas. I am a Democrat married to a firefighter. I do not condone arson or needlessly risking firefighter lives. I do not condone any form of violence.
I don’t think this makes me brave, because I don’t think I’m the exception. Also, I needn’t fear retribution from my party for having an opinion, unlike everyone on the right. The vast majority of those currently protesting do not support unlawful protest.
We found the violence against our Capitol on Jan. 6 to be abhorrent while Donald Trump called it “a day of love.” We find death threats against judges who uphold the law to be reprehensible. Yet, Trump stokes the flame by calling them “activist judges.”
We find Elon Musk’s infiltration of our government to be a perpetuation of lawlessness. Our personal information and national security are compromised.
He has failed at his alleged task to find waste, fraud and abuse. The target goal has steadily decreased as more errors are identified on the wall of receipts. As of April 18, nearly $1 billion has quietly disappeared from DOGE’s “savings.” Perhaps the goal all along was not to find waste, fraud and abuse, but to embody it?
Most protesting seek to be better than the abuse we detest. This is why over 1,000 peaceful protests were coordinated on April 5. This nationwide mobilization was called “Hands Off!” Is there one Republican brave enough to acknowledge the message?
Musk is spreading the false narrative that protesters are being paid. Mike Johnson, Marjorie Taylor Greene and others spread the lie. Republicans are hiding from their constituents, our Ohio representatives included. The number believing this denial and gaslighting is staggering. It may drive more people to violent protest out of desperation. Perhaps this is the intention?
Trump has targeted grassroots movements, such as Indivisible, for peaceful mobilization. He was unknowingly recorded saying “homegrowns are next” and El Salvador needs to build more camps. The stage has been set by unlawful deportation of immigrants and now citizens are at risk for the same disregard for their right to due process. This right appears twice in our Constitution: the Fifth and Fourteenth amendments.
We all need to be brave now. We need to be brave enough to peacefully protest and brave enough to listen to the protesters.
Kathleen Frey
rural Napoleon
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