As everybody knows (or ought to know) midterms elections are around the corner. The stakes are high and calumnies of all kinds are blanketing the news media.
“There is nothing that wings its flight so swiftly as calumny, nothing is uttered with more ease; nothing is listened to with more readiness, nothing disbursed more widely.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
Elected officials are supposed to work harmoniously with each other, but this is definitely not the case. Daggers are drawn everywhere. Exaggerations and lies of all sorts are flourishing all over like poppies in the spring. They are often colorful, but they mostly reek of biased partisanship.
In politics, no lie is too enormous. Extremists on both sides of the political fence are ready to believe anything that will buttress their long-held prejudices, and calumnies are the best vehicles for that task.
A calumny is like a skunk: once sprayed by it, it is difficult to remove the stench. No matter how hard your denials, some stink will remain.
“Hurl your calumnies boldly; something is sure to stick.” Francis Bacon
In a political campaign, you need scapegoats and there are always plenty of those. The bad “hombres” are always the Blacks, the Asians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Catholic Church, the Hispanics, the gays, the women, the lesbians, the polygamists, the meter maids, the vegans, the pétanque players… all these groups are minorities, therefore they are to be blamed for what’s wrong in this country of ours.
In the few remaining days before the elections, rumors are flying..
If the Democrats retake the House, you better run to Canada… or buy more weapons. They will open our borders and let everybody in… Our way of life is going to change for the worse…
Poppycock!
When you go to the polls, try to set your prejudices aside and vote for the person who seems to care more about people than his ideology.
Avoid extremists… because soon or later, regardless of your views, these storm troopers will bring you in for questioning.
Vote as if your life depended on it… because it does.
Alain