Anecdotal Evidence .

Saturday, October 29, 2022

 Letter to Bangor (Maine) Daily News
October 29, 2022

I write in response to Senator Susan Collins' statement concerning the attack on Paul Pelosi: “I am horrified by this vicious attack on Paul Pelosi at his home.  My prayers are with him, Speaker Pelosi, and their family.”

That's it? Almost sounds like what horrifies our Senator is not so much the attack itself but that it was "at his home". And no mention of the self-evident political motive?

Of course Collins knows, as you know and all your readers know, the target of this attack was not Paul Pelosi. It was Nancy Pelosi, and the motive was political. This was not an ordinary attack by a criminal breaking into someone's home to steal stuff. It was a vicious attack on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, on America itself, like the January 6 coup attempt. And like the January 6 coup attempt, it was motivated by noise from Donald Trump and the "new" Republican Party whose number includes, regrettably but effectively, the silence of others.

This morning, Heather Cox Richardson writes, "Today, the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and U.S. Capitol Police warned of violent extremism surrounding the upcoming midterm elections, including attacks on 'candidates running for public office, elected officials, election workers, political rallies, political party representatives, racial and religious minorities, or perceived ideological opponents.'”

And so I ask you, I beg you, please write something about this BEFORE November 8.

If Mainers, if Americans anywhere, cannot go to polling places without fear of politically motivated violence, then many will stay home. And then, God help us, trump will have made his lie true: Elections in America are rigged ... by him.

Your statement need not be political. Simply forcefully urge Mainers not to be afraid to vote, and, in the same breath, quoting the 
Department of Homeland Security, powerfully urge local and state law enforcement in Maine to protect polling places on November 8 ... as opposed to waiting to collect forensic evidence after violence has occurred.