Don Thompson’s recent letter typifies dangerously superficial thinking. He opens by claiming the Republican and Democratic conventions were “a polar opposite paradigm of America” but doesn’t define the paradigms. Thus, readers can only guess what he’s talking about. What’s the paradigm in those conventions? What’s the paradigm of America? Thompson doesn’t explain because he assumes everybody knows what he’s thinking. We don’t.
Then he moves to another topic; this time proclaiming America isn’t “racist, homophobic, xenophobic or misogynistic.” And again he offers no evidence to counter the fact America elected Trump because he promised a wall to keep out Brown and Black immigrants from “shithole countries.” That’s the very definition of a racist and xenophobic country.
Nor does Thompson deny the fact thousands of rape kits sit untested by police departments across the country because Americans consider saving tax dollars more important than seeking justice for abused females. Even if this were our only mistreatment of females, it defines America as misogynistic. Thompson is woefully wrong and harms democracy by misguiding other superficial thinkers into voting based on feelings, beliefs and assumptions rather than facts.
His letter ends with a plea to kill democracy by ignoring the only watchdog citizens have on government, the media. Instead of listening to media, we should think for ourselves, says Thompson. But he doesn’t say where food for thought should come from if not journalists reporting from the front lines of government.
Paul Heckel
Snohomish
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