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The Dangers of Right-Wing Hate Speech [1]

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Date: 2022-11-21

This weekend's mass shooting in a Colorado Springs LGBTQ nightclub is yet another tragedy that I believe was, at least in part, sparked by the right-wing hate speech used by Lauren Boebert and Heidi Ganahl during their campaigns. Ganahl was running against Jared Polis - the nation's first openly gay governor, both she and Lauren Boebert used debunked ideas about kids identifying as cats and using kitty litter at school in an attempt to smear their opponent. We are now seeing the dangerous effects that so-called "alternative facts" and fake news can have on our country. Yes, there is kitty litter in schools in Colorado for kids to use when they are hiding from an active shooter! But right-wing pundits and these two, feed these lies like red meat to their base who seem to believe anything no matter how bizarre.

The shooting this weekend is a stark reminder of how important it is to fight against right-wing hate speech. We were only a few hundred votes away from defeating Boebert, which means that a lot of Republicans voted for the Democrats. However, sadly, it wasn't enough. We need the Department of Justice to start pressing charges against those involved in the January 6th insurrection. Those who espouse hatred and bigotry are not fit to govern and should be prosecuted if involved.

The recent mass shooting in Colorado Springs is a tragedy that could have been averted if not for the hateful rhetoric of right-wing politicians that has gone on for almost half a century now, but it has never been as bad as it has become since 2016. Lauren Boebert and Heidi Ganahl, both in Colorado, ran campaigns based on debunked conspiracy theories and alternative facts. These dangerous lies have real-life consequences, as we saw this weekend once again.

Boebert and Ganahl both peddled the false idea that kids are being indoctrinated into transgenderism at school. They claimed that schools are using kitty litter to help kids "transition" into their new gender identities. These claims are not only false, but they're dangerous. When you spread lies about transgender people, you make them targets for hate and violence. That's exactly what happened this weekend. The very sick Irony is that there is cat litter in schools in Colorado for kids to use when hiding during an active shooter event.

The media also plays a role in spreading right-wing hate speech. When news outlets give platforms to people like Boebert and Ganahl without fact-checking their statements, they are effectively endorsing the spread of disinformation. This can have a serious impact on public opinion, especially when people see these things coming from sources they trust.

Right-wing hate speech is dangerous and can have deadly consequences. We saw this firsthand this weekend in Colorado Springs. When high-profile figures use their platform to spread lies and disinformation, it normalizes these things for the people who look up to them. This can lead to an increase in bigotry and hate crimes. We need to be careful about what we share on social media and make sure that we're only sharing accurate information. We also need to hold the media accountable for giving platforms to right-wing extremists without fact-checking their statements first. Only then can we begin to combat the spread of right-wing hate speech in our country.

We need to hold these politicians accountable for their words and their actions. We also need to elect more leaders who will stand up for the rights of all people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, along with sensible gun laws, and the ability to work with people of the other party on things that are important to things that affect things in people’s everyday lives. Only then can we start to heal the divisions in our country. The republican only agenda for the last 50 years has been making the wealthy wealthier by being the party of obstruction. What they have been obstructing is help for all of us, I am very hopeful that the folks under 30 are seeing this for what it is and will change it.

This weekend's mass shooting is a tragedy that should never have happened. We must do better as a country to protect our citizens from gun violence. We must also do better to combat right-wing hate speech, or any hate speech of any kind before it leads to more bloodshed. Only by working together to end all the hate speech and the careers of those that do not care about democracy, only then can we hope to make America a safer, more inclusive place for all.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/11/21/2137630/-The-Dangers-of-Right-Wing-Hate-Speech

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