No Excusing Bad Behavior
Editor,
I commend Jennifer Walsh Zeiter for expressing her 1st Amendment rights by attending the Laguna Women’s Rally with Trump signs, and for writing about it last week (“A Lesson in Intolerance”). But I have to wonder what she was hoping to accomplish besides a trip to urgent care?
She wrote that, while it was billed as a women’s rights march, her suspicion was that it was “more likely an anti-President Trump protest.” That’s redundant. I doubt you are that naive. Now, it would be one thing to simply hold up a Trump sign, but your sign also said “I’m proud to be an American again.” That is a clear act of provocation, designed to inflame a passionate crowd.
You should never have experienced shoving, pushing and heckling. However, it is a testament – not an indictment – of women’s capacity for peaceful demonstration that nothing more happened. Try going to a Trump rally holding a Hillary sign and see what happens. Or a Dodger game demonstrating for the Giants. One person recently did and ended up in a coma – with permanent brain damage.
Point is, while none of us condone violence for anyone with an opposing view, I think context is important to consider in this matter. These are dark, divisive times. The demonstration was a day after Trump was inaugurated without a majority of the popular vote. Many people were in fight or flight mode, giving voice to their fear of an authoritarian president who would trample human rights, and suppress dissent. People were especially emotional, perhaps in shock, and I for one found it cathartic and hopeful.
Zeiter claims that while Trump “is no angel, and gets no kudos for some of his words and actions directed at some women,” she is nonetheless proud of his agenda to put America first. She wrote, “There are much bigger issues, and it’s the package that counts, warts and all.”
Clearly, a woman’s right to choose, equal protection and respect for minorities, immigrants and the disabled, defense of free speech, protesting nuclear proliferation, ties to Russia, conflicts of interest, and the consistent degradation of women through his actions and words were “the package” that counted to the 2,000 protestors on Saturday.
Billy Fried, Laguna Beach
Dear Fried,
Stop causing more of an issue and accept the fact that in order to keep america great, people need to stop the divisivness.
Write about something positive and hopefull and call a spade a spade without trying to justify these foolish protests of violence irrespective of how your trying to spin it.
BTW, I dont hear about anyone leaving the country, have you?
UL
One load of bollocks begets another
Billy Fried: “Clearly, a woman’s right to choose, equal protection and respect for minorities, immigrants and the disabled, defense of free speech, protesting nuclear proliferation, ties to Russia, conflicts of interest, and the consistent degradation of women through his actions and words…”
Billy, Billy, Billy, you left out what Obama called “The greatest threat to security in America,” climate change! Billy, you and all your millions of fellow protesters are burning millions of gallons of fossil fuel, driving and flying to protests everywhere! And you are killing the polar bears and destroying the planet, just to whine and throw tantrums and riot and burn and break things!
And Obama promised to “bring America together.” Obama said “there is only the United States of America.” How about “united we stand,” Billy?
Incidentally, immigration is fine. It’s the illegal immigration, the inadequately vetted immigration that causes all the trouble. Billy.
Oh, and as to “degradation of women,” try to top Bill Clinton, who you let slide as an “alpha male.” Or Hillary who laughed when bragging about how she got off the rapist of a 12-year-old with just 10 months in jail. How’s that for “degradation of women,” Billy? You’ll never find a prominent Republican stoop that low. For that reason alone, Crooked Hillary should never show her face in public again.
Billy Fried: “Clearly, a woman’s right to choose, equal protection and respect for minorities, immigrants and the disabled, defense of free speech, protesting nuclear proliferation, ties to Russia, conflicts of interest, and the consistent degradation of women through his actions and words…”
Billy, Billy, Billy, you left out what Obama called “The greatest threat to security in America,” climate change! Billy, you and all your millions of fellow protesters are burning millions of gallons of fossil fuel, driving and flying to protests everywhere! And you are killing the polar bears and destroying the planet, just to whine and throw tantrums and riot and burn and break things!
And Obama promised to “bring America together.” Obama said “there is only the United States of America.” How about “united we stand,” Billy?
Incidentally, immigration is fine. It’s the illegal immigration, the inadequately vetted immigration that causes all the trouble. Billy.
Oh, and as to “degradation of women,” try to top Bill Clinton, who you let slide as an “alpha male.” Or Hillary who laughed when bragging about how she got off the rapist of a 12-year-old with just 10 months in jail. How’s that for “degradation of women,” Billy? You’ll never find a prominent Republican stoop that low. For that reason alone, Crooked Hillary should never show her face in public again.
Mr. Fried, I can appreciate your attempt to be even handed when dealing with reactionary bomb throwers like Miss Jenneifer. But take a gander at the responses from Jenny’s supporters. They call you names, they bring up issues that had nothing to do with the Main Beach demo, and they blather on and on with their petty white skinned privileged grievances. Like bacteria, they view compassion as weakness and attack and sicken relentlessly.
Writing a letter to the editor is a good first step. Next step,is to get organized. These haters have a jump on us. They systematically started turning the clock back to the 1890 more than 35 years ago. We have some catching to do. So forget about trying to reason with these reactionaries. Being even hand for the sake of being handed will only be met by these people with a slap down. They live in an impenetrable alternative universe where alternative facts and alternative logic reign supreme.