By Donna Frye / Op-Ed San Diego U-T / Jan. 5, 2022
While much has changed since I last ran for office, there are some behaviors by candidates, their supporters and those who engage in political protests that must never be normalized for reasons that should be obvious to anyone with one wit of common sense. These behaviors should not require an explanation about why they are morally wrong, are mostly illegal and can result in people being hurt or killed. It should go without saying.
But after witnessing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and the many out-of-control political protests over the past few years, it’s a discussion that is probably long overdue.
I never thought I would be writing a list of things like this, but here we are. The following guidance is especially helpful to candidates and their supporters.
- Do not wear a fur hat with horns, paint your face and go shirtless while carrying a spear into a government office to disrupt a political proceeding. It does not help your cause, and it is probably illegal.
- Do not stay silent if any of your supporters threaten to hang a member of your campaign. Do not fail to act if you hear someone else threatening others.
- Act immediately if your supporters try to illegally enter a government building and assault police officers.
- Do not assault members of the media and destroy their equipment.
- Do not break into government buildings and steal things from people’s offices.
- If you have the ability to help stop a riot, do so. Do not stand by and do nothing.
- Denounce any acts or threats of violence, and do not tweet messages that help inspire others to act in a violent manner.
- Once you have exhausted all of the available legal remedies challenging the results of an election, accept the results and move on. Do not spread lies about what happened to raise money or use a legal team that graduated from Crazy Town University.
- Respect the U.S. Constitution and follow the laws.
There are also behaviors that are wrong especially when engaging in political protests and marches.
- Do not march with lighted tiki torches or loaded guns.
- Do not drive a vehicle into a crowd of people and try to run them over.
- Do not destroy other people’s property. Do not set it on fire or smash in the windows or doors of any buildings.
- Do not steal other people’s property.
- Do not throw bottles, cans, rocks or any other objects at anyone.
- Do not spray people with any harmful liquids, such as bear spray.
- Do not spit at people, hit people, bite people, stab people, kick people or shoot people.
Even though the above list is not exhaustive, it seems like a good place to start. We need to agree that these behaviors are not normal and not acceptable.
The majority of people understand this, but, unfortunately, there are a minority of folks who think political violence is justified, especially when they do not get their own way.
Perhaps if we start now, before the next round of elections and political protests, and agree that political violence, illegal acts and other morally vacant behaviors are wrong, our democracy and the majority of law-abiding people who know the difference between right and wrong will be able to breathe a big sigh of relief.
Donna Frye is a former San Diego City Council member and was nearly elected the mayor. She lives in Clairemont.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Right on!
Happy New Year Ms. Frye :-)
“Do not stay silent if any of your supporters threaten to hang a member of your campaign. Do not fail to act if you hear someone else threatening others.”
Pence should march his butt onto the Select Committee Floor and invite the media to be present for his full and truthful question and answer session. This would be a good start to show honor. Doubtful he’s got it in him though-like so many others who have no honor.
You are correct. As a current resident of Indiana (Pence’s home state), I can say that I agree he has no honor. He wasn’t that great of a governor, wasn’t that great of a vice-president, and now, not that great of a human being either. If anyone with any backbone and self-worth was hunted by their boss/president and his supporters, you bet your bottom they wouldn’t cower in fear and stay silent. It is too bad there are so many hypocrites on the right that let sort of behavior go on time and time again.
Editor:
Again, I am saddened to read that the QB Rag has become enamored by the extremist far-left tomes of CNN & MSNBC. You are not progressive, you are regressive and extremely intolerant, hopefully, may you realize it soon.
A good concept to compare the tones of your writings comes from C.S. Lewis.
Are your intentions truly helpful or decisive?
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.” C.S. Lewis
You lost me when you called CNN and MSNBC “extremist far-left tomes.” What do you watch, James, Fox News?
Wow JAMES.
I don’t watch any MSM TV news at all because it’s all too far right-wing neoliberal to outright Fascist and every bit is corporate-owned and censored to one degree or another. After all, look up the political leanings on those Board of Directors and who they bribe…a-hem, ‘donate’ to. That’s a wake-up call! Not a leftie in the bunch I’m sure.
Just like there aren’t any lefties on CNN or MSDNC…they’d never get hired in the first place much less anchor a news desk. As a matter of fact there are very few people in office anywhere in the country that could be considered a Leftie. But of course the entire political spectrum has been shoved rather far to the right since Reagan leaving the left nearly extinct and most people seem to have forgotten that fact. Don’t see any George McG0vern running for office, eh James?
Sorry dude, I guess you are of those that finds it so much better to live under an omnipotent intolerant violent robber baron with a 6th grade vocabulary whose cruelty never sleeps (hence tweeting at 4am), is never satisfied and always wants more of what YOU have, and who torments others for his own vicious greed and possibly thrills by employing massive incompetence and hubris to every aspect of life he can affect; and has the temerity to publicly sick mind-warped violent thugs on those who don’t do what he says by repeating de-bunked lies and telling them he’ll pardon them if they beat somebody up for him.
Actually I’d prefer neither type of leader, moral busybodies or the immoral busybodies.
sealintheSelkirks
Chris Hayes used to write for The Nation and most of the time Maddow expresses left-of-center views and observations.
Seal:
Thank you for making my point. Your hubris precedes you.
You welcome. Glad I could make your day a little brighter with some slight sarcasm.
sealintheSelkirks