The recent shooting events in New Mexico is another reminder of the threat by the extreme right to American democracy.
While the response by the right will always be “what about Antifa” the nation should not be bamboozled and distracted by what is a clear attempt by the extreme right and their supporters to escape accountability.
While in this case it was a losing Republican candidate for the New Mexico state legislature Solomon Pena, who claimed the election was stolen from him and then embarked upon a reign of terror against Democrats, it is the constant irrational feeling of having something stolen from them that drives the extreme right.
This psychosis has led to an increase of anti-Semitic, anti-Asian, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments coupled with an unrelenting strategy to dilute and diminish the black vote which has consistently felt the wrath of white supremacists who still believe that equal opportunity for blacks is a zero sum game which diminishes their sense of self worth.
It is what led extreme right devotees to plot the kidnapping of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
It is what led to an extreme case of testosterone gone bad when the Republican led Missouri House passed legislation telling women how they can dress on the House floor.
It is what led lunatics like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alex Jones to deny the Sandy Hook massacre.
It is what led white supremacists to march in the streets of Charlottesville yelling “Jews will not replace us.”
It is what led to the January 6th insurrection. While the insurrection failed to overturn the election nonetheless some of its supporters are now in positions of power across the nation and in congress.
It is what now leads to Paul Gosar, whose family members see him as a traitor to the country, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a QANON supporter, now serving on congressional committees.
It is this extremism that prohibits from Speaker Kevin McCarthy from speaking out against George Santos the pathological liar and preventing him from taking committee assignments.
It is this extremism which makes the modern day GOP a clear and present danger.
Right wing extremism is not new. It is deeply ingrained in the life and history of America whether through white Christian nationalism, that diminishes people of African descent and blames Jews for the death of Jesus, and consistently is in denial of American history. Black people and other oppressed groups have felt the wrath of this extremism for centuries. It is also an historical fact that American democracy has been under the threat of being undermined in the past including from US elected officials as Rachael Maddow’s Ultra podcast highlights. It should not surprise people if it is found out that many of today’s right wing elected officials and unelected leaders have ties with America’s enemies.
As long as America has constituents who believe they are entitled to a place of supremacy by virtue of their background, democratic institutions and structures will be periodically tested and stressed.
The question is what can serve as a mitigating factor against this rising tide which while always present was dormant until the advent of Donald Trump who seemingly gave impetus to the nation’s present condition.
As the nation celebrated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King perhaps the answer to this question of a mitigating factor lies in the efforts of the civil rights movement. While Dr. King was ultimately fighting against white supremacy and its deleterious effect on the black community, the movement itself was multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious. As one looks at the Black Lives Matter movement it was also multi-ethnic, religious and racial. It is within this construct that the solution to battling this present threat to the democratic system of the United States may be found. There must be an intentional organizing effort encompassing the various leaders of groups within the Black, Latino, Jewish, progressive white, Asian, LGBTQ, white women to form a coalition with its prime focus being the protection of American democracy. While it is true that these groups, with the exception of white women, tend to vote in unison for Democrats, the reality is that it is more happenstance than strategic. While each of these disparate groups have their own agenda and issues that are of importance to them, the reality is that without a democratic structure their self interest cannot and will not be realized.
While even a coalition such as this cannot totally prevent people like Solomon Peña from acting on their obvious mental sickness, it can work to prevent election deniers like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar and Jim Jordan from acquiring and maintaining political and legislative power.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party under its present leadership namely Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell because of their thirst for power rather than the well being of Americans will not be a mitigating factor.
Political and electoral power must be utilized for three reasons. The first is to achieve victory on specific agenda issues. Second is to maintain progress on something already accomplished. The third is to prevent something negative from occurring. While all three occur at different stages and sometimes simultaneously in political life, it is the third which is of paramount importance at present.
As people look around the nation with a women’s right to choose overturned, voting rights act gutted, a Supreme Court justice who wants to to revisit and perhaps overturn the constitutionality of affirmative action and marriage equality. While this is coupled with the increase of attacks on various minority groups one see the extreme right operating from different vantage points
It is through a coalition through its shear voting numbers can begin to inflict the type of political pain on the GOP that is necessary in order to force the party to reform itself.
Unfortunately, while it is possible that things may get worse before they begin to turn around, the American people are the ultimate arbiter of the kind of republic the nation will be. The justice system can and must do its part but it cannot dictate what kind of nation the United States will be.
At the end of the day the tone and tenor of the political system is nothing more than a reflection of the populace. If America wants to be what John Winthrop called “ it’s on a hill” then it must face itself. The right must understand that it is bringing the nation to a precipice. It can join with those on the progressive side as some have already done or it can continue to move in a manner that will push the nation off the precipice from which there may be no return. It is not too late.