Regarding “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (July 5), I have no objection to people expressing support for or disagreements with Trump, or Biden, or whomever. What bothers me is the tenor of those discussions and the habit of making points by shading the truth, misleading people, or lying.
For example, the author of the July 5 article wrote “When Trump announced plans to build a wall on the Mexican border, Democrats vehemently opposed it even though they had previously supported the idea.” The truth is that Democrats never supported Trump’s 2,000 mile long, 30 foot high, $1.4 billion wall. Rather, they had proposed a 700 mile fence with sensors that alert officials to border crossings. Democrats simply thought Trump’s plan was expensive overkill. To say they flipped from supporting Trump’s wall to opposing it misleads the public.
The article then goes on to declare “… as soon as Trump announced he would not be wearing a mask, the Democrats embraced mask wearing…” The reality is very different. In the early months of COVID (spring 2020), scientists were frantically trying to get a handle on this new virus. Dr. Fauci and his team first believed the virus spread through contact, in which case masks would be nearly useless. After a month or two they confirmed the virus was transmitted through the air, in which case masks were essential. That’s when Democrats and the vast majority of Americans started wearing masks. It had nothing to do with Trump deciding not masking. He may have been playing a PR game; Democrats and many others were following the latest scientific evidence.
Also, the “mass incarcerations of hundreds of pre-trial January 6th defendants” was in fact limited – most estimates are around three dozen individuals out of 1,250+ indicted thus far. These people were deemed violent offenders and/or flight risks. Many lawyers and judges will tell you detainment is not unusual in such cases because they’d like to ensure the accused appears in court without flight or additional violence. More than 95% of the J6 defendants were not detained.
The border wall, mask wearing, and many other assertions are presented as black and white “we’re good and the other guys are bad” propositions. This is a shame, for it widens the gulf between people and parties. We can have fruitful discussions if we all start with the same facts. Unfortunately, the truth is often complicated and nuanced. These kinds of “discussions” can’t proceed very far because at heart they’re largely untrue.
It is truly sad when people’s positions and discussions depend on bending the truth, eliding over certain facts, and using hyperbole to try to win. Added to that problem is the invective and personal assaults that are commonplace right now (“Marxist Vermin,” “Crazy Nancy,” “Lying Ted” and much more). So here we are – at each other’s’ throats because we’ve been whipped into a lather based on partial truths and political expediency. The truth is out there if you look hard enough.
– by Bill Barrett, Torrey
Read more letters to the editor on this topic in By Their Fruits by Simone Griffin.