Letter to SC Congressman Joe Wilson

Representative Wilson:

I got your January 16, 2021 Newsletter. Your small gesture to help hand out bag lunches to those Capitol Police officers who risked their lives and safety to protect your very life was nice. 

Joe Wilson 2nd from Left

You should now spend your energy on finding out why those in charge didn’t listen to the warnings available and weren’t prepared for Jan 6th!

You state "President Donald Trump has agreed to a peaceful transition of power and impeaching a president so close to a new administration impedes that process and only serves to further divide our country."

By not standing with fellow Republicans who voted to impeach Trump, YOU are helping to divide this country. You should support a Senate Trial and prevent such a person from ever seeking public office again. Instead, you tell your followers it’s not warranted.

You yelled out at President Obama on live TV that he lied over a technicality about the Affordable Care Act. He said illegal immigrants wouldn’t be covered by it, when there was an option for them to BUY and PAY for health care, as opposed to having free coverage. 

Where were the Republicans, and you specifically, yelling "You Lie!" to President Trump as he spread Conspiracy Theories, said media reporting facts was “fake news”, called Neo Nazis good people, and told his followers that he won the election in a landslide?

He said he’s leaving the Whitehouse a week before Biden becomes President. It prevents him from having to be dragged out kicking and screaming like the out of control, spoiled child he’s been for 4 years. 

He’s done everything to prevent a smooth transition of power. He won’t even do the civil and public transition of escorting Biden to the Inauguration and showing his public support for the new President. Obama did it for him.

His inflammatory rhetoric has been broadcast for over 4 years. He incited people to riot, breach the Capitol, beat and kill an Officer and others. 

Where were you during the riot? How safe were you feeling? Were you cowering in a corner wondering if you’d be captured and hung? Did you know your office wasn’t a target? 

Yet you continue to support and allow such actions by a President. 

Timothy McVeigh blowing up the Federal building didn’t scare you? The killing of people in their churches and synagogues by Domestic terrorists didn’t scare you? Attacks and the killing of public officials around the world by right-wing extremists didn’t scare you?

None of those things or the actions of Trump didn’t scare you into standing up for our Democracy? Yet a person living in the US, who is not a citizen, but is willing to pay for their healthcare scared you.

It’s obvious to me whose side you are on and what “type” of person you are against.

You’ll make a scene and call out a Black man on a technicality, but allow a rich White guy to foment hate, violence and continue to spread outrageous lies, even after he leaves office, just to preserve your way of life.

A peace offering of a bag lunch makes it all right if done in front of a camera. Right?

SC Representative Joe Wilson

Written by Linda Vola

Break the Cycle of Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories

We have a huge problem to solve as a country. We need to come together as a nation of US citizens for the good of our Nation and to maintain our Democracy. 

It’s not only Proud Boys, Neo Nazi’s and Militia. There have been angry group demonstration at State Government buildings with some attempts to break in. The potential is there for riots similar to what we just witnessed at the Capitol Building. 

Trump’s been banned from Twitter a little late. He’s already called his people to arms for the Inauguration. DC will be better prepared. However, do we really need to see riot gear, armed mobs fighting with Police and National Guard? Especially on a day where the whole world will be watching just to see what this once proud country has become?

The only solution I see is to somehow break the barrier of misinformation stoked by Trump and radical or far right conservative media outlets. 

You all have friends and neighbors who absolutely, 100% agree that anything reported on Network or Cable news is fake. They’ve been told that over and over again and repetition has sunk into their brain like the times tables many of us had to memorize as children. 

People from all walks of life and all levels of education are true believers in QAnon, like the Airforce Vet who was killed while storming the Capital. Her Twitter feed declared her intentions to support a Coup. 

Members of the Press can’t wear their logos identifying them as such and must take security with them when they cover events. They’re heckled and their equipment’s been destroyed by those who don’t want them to report their “fake news.” 

I don’t know how to get to these disillusioned individuals, but maybe, just maybe, we can break through to them. Right now, people are feeling a little more vulnerable since the violent mob desecrated the People’s House and could have killed our elected officials. They already set up nooses outside for public hangings. Maybe some of few followers are a little awakened to who they’ve been listening to and finally question his beliefs. 

We have to continue dialog with those lost in conspiracy theories and misinformation. Somehow, if we stop just talking only amongst those that agree with us, maybe enough of us can get a few of them to understand who the Groups are behind all of their misinformation. Maybe we even change the channel sometime and listen to what they’re hearing or reading. 

Social Media has to be more vigilant. The accounts of those circulating these violent messages and hashtags stating their intentions for violence to take over the government should be suspended. 

At a minimum, any extremists on the right or left who are advertising their intentions to cause harm should be reported to Authorities. 

Right now it’s up to us. We as US Citizens must try our best to dialog with other US Citizens, regardless of any political affiliation and try to speak truth to them. 

It’s not a time for funny memes, name calling or dismissing those we don’t agree with. You just might break through to 1 person. If enough people break through to 1 person, maybe things will start to get better. 

On the other hand, maybe you’ll just out someone who’s truly racist and has gone down that rabbit hole of idolizing Trump and believing conspiracy theories, so they don’t have to admit to themselves what’s driving them.

https://www.alternet.org/2020/10/here-are-5-far-right-extremist-groups-or-movements-that-pose-a-national-security-threat-in-the-us/tacit-endorsement-the-proud-boys-are-celebrating-trump-telling-them-to-stand-by

Riots Inside The People's House - A Day That Will Live In Infamy

I've been so upset for so long by the divisive and inflammatory rhetoric of our President and by his actions. It upsets me so that he has actually convinced so many people that any news not presented by him or alternative media is Fake. Actual facts no longer matter to so many people.

The underlying and often overt racism of so many, so afraid of change to their status quo is appalling.

Yesterday I hit a wall and am beyond upset but am now afraid. I'm afraid for our Democracy. I'm afraid of what could happen in the next 10 days and after that for the safety of our new President and Vice President. I'm afraid for people of color. I'm afraid that we won't be able to speak civilly to friends and neighbors who may think about things differently from ourselves.

I've tried to have open and honest dialogue with those I don't agree with on politics. If I state facts or look up information they've sent or provided facts regarding misinformation they've sent, I'm told I'm lecturing and shouldn't have to check their information for accuracy. I've been dismissed in discussions with others as citing fake news on everything from what the President said to my quoting National Geographic stating there's no proof that Covid 19 was manufactured in China.

As I get older I get weepy more easily. Today I spoke to 2 different Customer Service Agents from 2 different companies regarding different matters. I found myself tearing up as I started to say goodbye to the first. We ended up continuing the conversation.

This young black woman agreed with my concern She told me several friends texted her yesterday saying if that were a Black Lives Matter Protest (see photo below), the preparation and handling of the crowd would have been different. Like me, she was glued to the TV and stayed up until the early hours of the morning watching events unfold. She too turned on the TV again this morning to check to see if it was just a bad dream.

We talked through the events and gave each other a chance to vent our feelings a little to someone outside of our bubble of conversation. We agreed that yesterday was not a protest. It was a planned show of force by a mob of rioters intent on harm. They came in from around the county and were egged on by a 90 min in-person speech, not a tweet, by our President. They came prepared with their own helmets vests and riot gear and there was no show of force to protect the Capitol Building and the people discussing our democratic process inside. I finally said goodbye and told her to take care of herself and to be careful in the days to come.

I later had the good fortune to speak to a Supervisor in another company about an issue that has taken me weeks to try to resolve. Once again, I found myself starting to tear up and had trouble speaking at first. I apologized and told him that I've just been so upset by recent events and this unresolved issue didn't help my state of mind.

This African American man calmed me down and told me it was going to be OK, we were going to be OK. He helped resolve my issue and left me with these words "One thing I know for sure and one thing I know for certain, We are a Great Nation and We Shall Overcome".

May God or whomever you look to in time of need, protect us, and may he bless this Country.

https://mashable.com/article/capitol-police-trump-riot-black-lives-matter-protest/