The former party of Lincoln, still officially known as the Republican Party has continued its transformation into an Authoritarian It Can Happen Here Entity that would make 1984's George Orwell cringe.
After decades of catering to white grievance to win the Southern bloc and scare suburban residents in battleground states, the party, as previous Blog for Arizona articles have noted, has accelerated its transformation to a minority rule-apartheid party that denies knowledge (mainly history and science,) promotes and enables big lies (The election was stolen from Donald Trump and the COVID vaccine is the Mark of the Beast,) and looks for any way to suppress the vote and maintain power (the 2000 Presidential Election for example.)
The Republican National Committee (RNC) Statement of February 4, 2022 censuring Lynne Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their participation in the January 6, 2021 House Select Investigation Committee on the domestic terrorist attack on the Nations Capitol demonstrates another example of the Orwellian twists the former Party of Lincoln has employed to feed a false narrative to its base in a quest to increase power in the 2022 elections.
In their statement, the RNC said that Cheney, Kinzinger, and the Democrats on the January 6 Committee were conducting an investigation that resulted in the “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
According to reporting by the New York Times, Republican Party officials like Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, and Bill Cassidy (all Senators whose members are in statewide races this year) tried to clarify the statement, saying it did not apply to the rioters.
Well, who does the statement apply to then?
Who is getting persecuted?
Kevin McCarthy who had that phone call with Trump when the rioters wanted to hang Mike Pence?
Jim Jordan who had at least one phone call with Trump that day?
Paul Gosar, Andy Biggs, or Mo Brooks who may have been involved in the planning of the January 6 events?
Trumps lawyers and Executive Branch appointees, some of whom are taking advantage of fifth amendment protections against self incrimination during Committee questioning?
These individuals and the rioters that followed their alt reality sirens do not seem like ordinary citizens who are being persecuted while conducting legitimate political discourse.
These seem like criminals who have been caught committing serious crimes called treason and sedition.
What this says about Republican Efforts to Ban Books and Curtail the Study of History?
When Republicans try spreading this fecal matter about January 6, 2022, it should make people realize why they are trying to ban books and curtail the study of history.
Think about it.
How much easier would it be to have a society that did not read thought provoking books like Orwell or Huxley or Bradbury or Clemens or Hawthorne or Atwood?
How uncomplicated would ruling become if the people had no true sense of the nation's past or the dark episodes in the country's history that demand recognition and addressing?
In Arizona for example, there are legislative efforts to restrict what children can read, mandates to how history should be taught (how can you not blame the Nazi's for the Holocaust or the South for slavery,) and discrimination against membersof the LGBTQ community in school athletic programs.
There are similar efforts across other Republican controlled states across the country.
When members of the former Party of Lincoln are trying to paint January 6, 2022 as an event where "ordinary citizens (were) engaged in legitimate political discourse,” is it any wonder that Republicans are supporting efforts stifling the development of young minds.
That is why it is vital that children are exposed to more literature and history in schools, not less.
An informed and well educated populace is the best weapon against these odious voices of reactionism and the big lies.
Everyone that believes in the value of a good public education should contact their local leaders and call on them to stop these Orwellian designs to indoctrinate children by promoting ignorance instead of scientific, cultural, and historical literacy.
If these leaders do not listen, the November elections are only nine and a half months away.
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