The foreseeable result of hate speech.

November 21, 2022

          The inevitable consequence of the GOP’s culture war on LGBTQ people took another tragic turn on Saturday as a mass murderer killed five and injured dozens of patrons at an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The gunman entered Club Q wearing body armor and carrying an assault rifle. The name and other details of the murderer match that of a grandson of a MAGA politician in California, but no major media outlet has yet confirmed that connection. No matter the details. The GOP has ratcheted up anti-gay hate speech in Colorado over the last few years—and violence is the foreseeable result. See NBCNews, Anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Colorado Springs had some in the community anticipating tragedy. See also WaPo, Club Q shooting follows year of bomb threats, drag protests, anti-trans bills.

          Some of the very politicians who serve as cheerleaders for the anti-LGBTQ hate speech in Colorado—e.g., Lauren Boebert—claim to be shocked by the violence. But they are fooling no one. Boebert has promoted an anti-LGBTQ user account on Twitter that specializes in identifying LGBTQ allies for harassment by hate groups. See The Independent, Lauren Boebert condemned for response to Colorado Springs shooting. Per The Independent,

Twitter users quickly noted that Boebert was deeply entrenched in the resurgence of right-wing hate against the LGBT community. The freshman congresswoman . . . has more than once tweeted approvingly about the right-wing hate account LibsOfTikTok, which shines a spotlight on private citizens and businesses that are seen as members of or allied with the gay community.

          The above-mentioned “right-wing hate account” promoted by Boebert is still active on Twitter—as is Boebert, who recently tweeted, “Sending a message to all drag queens out there: stay away from the children in Colorado’s third district,” and “Take your children to church, not to drag shows.” But as other commentators have noted, guns kill 3,500 children and teens per year, but books and drag shows kill none. Republicans want to ban books and drag shows while ensuring the rights of domestic abusers and violent felons to purchase assault weapons.

          The attacks on LGBTQ are sickening and will continue until everyone (including Twitter) condemns such attacks. Every. Single. Time. It. Happens. Republicans have calculated that anti-LGBTQ hate speech wins them more support than it costs them. When Democrats rise to the defense of LGBTQ—also known as “people”—Republicans accuse us of engaging in “identity politics” or of “being woke.”

          Do not let those childish counterattacks dissuade you. Five people are dead and dozens more are injured in Colorado Springs because a MAGA-drunk angry young man with an assault rifle believed what Lauren Boebert told him—that LGBTQ people are “other than” and “not really people.”

          Such hate speech is disgusting and must stop. It is up to us to ensure that no one can win office or participate in leadership positions anywhere in society if they promote anti-LGBTQ hate speech—even if they do so under the guise of “protecting our children.” I am looking at you, Ron DeSantis—and at all of his Christian nationalist enablers.

What do you do with a problem like Twitter?

          Sadly, Twitter is an integral part of political, scientific, academic, and governmental communication. It is also a cesspool of unimaginable depths. The ride on Twitter is becoming increasingly bumpy as Elon Musk makes ever more bizarre and counterproductive decisions. As noted below, his changes have allowed more hate speech on the platform, so the presence of legitimate users is more important than ever. People like Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) and Joyce Vance (@JoyceWhiteVance) have noted unexplained decreases in the number of people who are following them. Help ensure that comments by responsible commentators get the attention they deserve; if you use Twitter, follow your favorite news sources.

          With that throat clearing out of the way, Elon Musk increased the hellishness of the Twitter hellscape over the weekend by allowing Donald Trump and Kanye West back onto the platform. To be clear, that decision makes available all of their previous tweets (except those they voluntarily deleted). So, Trump’s tweets urging insurrection and Kanye West’s antisemitic tweets are back on Twitter. See Bloomberg, Musk Welcomes Ye Back to Twitter After Inviting Trump’s Return.

          Losing Twitter would be a blow to responsible academics, journalists, politicians, and governmental bodies that communicate with users through Twitter. So, what do we do with a problem like Twitter? That’s a tough question, but here’s one possible scenario: Advertisers flee en masse, Musk petitions for bankruptcy, Musk loses about $20 billion in Tesla stock he pledged in the acquisition, someone else buys and rehabilitates Twitter, and everyone goes home happy. Except for right-wing extremists, Russian bots, and Elon Musk.

Did Justice Alito leak information regarding the anti-contraceptive decision? And Dobbs?

          The New York Times has published a truly astonishing (and damning) portrait of a Supreme Court where “access” and “information” are for sale to the highest bidder. See NYTimes, Former Anti-Abortion Leader Alleges Another Supreme Court Breach. Per the Times,

In early June 2014, an Ohio couple who were Mr. Schenck’s star donors shared a meal with Justice Alito and his wife, Martha-Ann. A day later, Gayle Wright, one of the pair, contacted Mr. Schenck, according to an email reviewed by The Times. “Rob, if you want some interesting news please call. No emails,” she wrote.

Mr. Schenck said Mrs. Wright told him that the decision would be favorable to Hobby Lobby, and that Justice Alito had written the majority opinion. Three weeks later, that’s exactly what happened.

          Through a spokesperson, Alito denied that he leaked information regarding the Hobby Lobby opinion. But, of course, Alito is a known liar, so we should view his denials with skepticism. See NYTimes, Alito Assured Ted Kennedy in 2005 of Respect for Roe v. Wade, Diary Says.

          A non-paywalled version of the NYTimes story about the leak is here: Politico,  Senior Democratic lawmakers demand answers on alleged Supreme Court leak.

          The Times article raises disturbing questions about the Court that go beyond Alito’s possible complicity in leaking information about Court opinions. As noted in the article, right-wing advocacy groups set out to infiltrate the Court by participating in The Supreme Court Historical Society and inviting justices on vacations to luxury destinations with conservative donors.

          Senate Democrats must investigate the Court. It is listing badly, and Chief Justice John Roberts is doing nothing to rehabilitate the Court. Instead, he spends his time attacking its critics as “sore losers.”

Kevin McCarthy says he will exclude three Democrats from congressional committees.

          Kevin McCarthy is pretending that he has already been elected Speaker; he has not—and may never be. But he is busy telling right-wing outlets that he will exclude three Democratic representatives from committees: Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, and Ilhan Omar. He claims that Swalwell is compromised by a Chinese spy, that Omar has engaged in anti-Israel speech, and Adam Schiff has “lied” to the American public. See The Hill, McCarthy vows to remove three Dems from committee posts.

          None of the representatives deserves to be excluded from committees on which they currently sit. But the threat to remove Adam Schiff from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is particularly devastating. Schiff has served on the Intelligence Committee for fourteen years and has served as its chairman since 2018. He has a wealth of experience that serves to ensure congressional oversight of the intelligence community and adds stability to our national security.

          And, of course, Schiff’s “lies” consist of telling the truth about Trump—and McCarthy. Kevin McCarthy has demonstrated that he is a venal, petty, cowardly man who is unfit for public office, much less to serve as Speaker.

UN Climate Conference of Parties—COP27.

          You have likely seen reports of agreements emerging from the COP27 conference. Unfortunately, the jargon surrounding the climate crisis can be opaque, so here is an “explainer” about the term COP27:

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), made up of representatives from each country that signed the Paris Agreement and which meets every year. COP27, the 27th annual meeting, is being held under an Egyptian presidency in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh.

          COP27 made progress in a number of areas, but the two that are garnering the most attention relate to a climate “damages fund” and an agreement to reduce methane production by 30% by 2030. Per Vox,

COP27, ended with an agreement to create a fund to compensate less wealthy countries already suffering destruction stemming from rising average temperatures. The meeting also secured more commitments to cut methane pollution.

See Vox, COP27: The good and bad news after the latest UN climate change talks.

          The issues relating to the climate crisis are extraordinarily complex. The preliminary agreements reached at COP27 are important because they suggest a growing international consensus that we must act soon. Although the actual progress may be marginal, the change in attitude is promising.

Concluding Thoughts.

          Like you, I am struggling to find the right focus and balance in dealing with political developments. The midterms aren’t over. We don’t yet know the final counts in the House or Senate. Democrats continue to focus on Georgia’s run-off and ballot curing in states with undecided House races—and must continue to do so with vigor and dedication until the final race is called.

          But Kevin McCarthy is acting like he is Speaker even though he is not and may never be. Elon Musk is reshaping a social media platform that is irrelevant to the majority of Americans but an essential tool for others. Trump is the only declared candidate for 2024 but is wounded and waning. The race between the DOJ to the courthouse and Trump to the ballot box has started and will continue for two years.

          So, where should we focus our attention? Some readers urge me to ignore Trump and the criminal investigations, others are intensely interested in those same topics. And, as one reader noted, I have not written about the most important international story—Ukraine—in several weeks.

          I don’t have a satisfying answer, but the mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs reminded me that we cannot lose our capacity for outrage. We cannot grow weary of condemning hate speech. We cannot flag in our desire for accountability for insurrectionists and coup plotters. At the same time, we have a nation to govern and promises to keep.

          As in all things, we should strive for balance and look forward to the future. Even the prosecutions relating to January 6th should be forward-looking—not merely about punishing the guilty but also about protecting the Constitution and democracy from future threats. So, as we enter an unsatisfying interregnum, strive for balance and keep our eyes on the horizon. That will help us navigate our way to the future we seek for our children and grandchildren.

          Talk to you tomorrow!