I am no longer scandalized by comments from the president. Rather, I expect unpredictable behavior from him, it’s the new norm.
However I am disturbed by the silence from Republican leadership in the face of yet more disturbing conduct from the President. I am angry about the silence from elected men and women charged with holding the president accountable for his conduct.
My Republican friends whisper to me in corners, “I cannot bear the man,” and then are silent when he feeds his base spoonfuls of hate.
This phrase, “Those who are silent are understood to agree,” says it all. "There are no innocent bystanders, only bystanders." I understand how people normalize and support Trumps words and conduct, yet Trump is only one man. He could not operate in this way without the approval and silence of others.
Hitler was one man. Without the support of and silence from leadership, he would have disappeared into history as only a moment. He did not carry out his campaign of hate and genocide without the consent of others.
Hitler did not start out murdering the Jews. He insinuated they might be the problem; he fed spoonfuls of doubt to those who already had the appetite. He spoon-fed his base what they want to hear.
I am not a scholar, but even Mary Poppins understood the spoonful theory. I hope that, at the end of the day, people will know what was in my spoon and it’s not sugar.
I’m Lou Ness, and that is my perspective
