"... Violence is a tool for disrupting elections. It can create an environment of fear and uncertainty that primes voters to believe conspiracy theories or false claims of fraud.
"We have already seen the Trump administration lay the groundwork: surveillance and intimidation of protestors and physical violence against the administration’s opponents. Violence can also serve as a pretext for the crackdown itself — a rationale for 'restoring law and order' that conveniently expands federal power over dissent. When Renée Good and Alex Pretti were killed in Minneapolis, video footage undercut the federal government’s claims of terrorism almost immediately, showing how far the official narrative had drifted from reality. [snip]
"There is a lot each of us can do
to help protect our democracy in this critical moment. Caring for our
neighbors, engaging our communities, and finding ways to use our voices
are all essential. As we confront the dual challenges of political
violence and authoritarian attempts to weaponize it, being clear-eyed
about both the real risks of violence and the risk of its exploitation
is a responsibility we all share." -- Jennifer Dresden and Laura Livingston, in the "If You Can Keep It" Substack, on why it's vital that "Getting the Story Straight" on political violence is critical as head for the mid-terms. The piece offers some advice on questions the media (and public) should ask in instances of political violence, such as the killings of innocent people like Good, Pretti, and now Lorenzo Salgado Araujo -- with subsequent official lies and blame-shifting -- by the Malignant Fascist's ICE/ Border Patrol thugs. Forewarned is forearmed.
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