Republican Greg Gianforte, on the eve of the election
for the lone congressional seat in Montana, broke the law by “body-slamming” a
reporter who asked a question about the new, Republican-driven, Health Care
Law; the assault was witnessed by other journalists, who said Gianforte grabbed
the journalist by the neck and threw him to the ground, injuring his arm.
“Gianforte had
been silent in the wake of the allegations, with his campaign only releasing a
statement claiming that The Guardian's Ben Jacobs had been the
aggressor. But speaking at his victory party in Bozeman shortly after the race
was called, Gianforte admitted he was in the wrong and offered an apology to
Jacobs.”
"[Wednesday]
night I made a mistake, and I took an action that I can't take back, and I'm
not proud of what happened," Gianforte said. "I should not have
responded in the way that I did, and for that I'm sorry.
"I should not
have treated that reporter that way, and for that, I'm sorry, Mr. Ben
Jacobs," the congressman-elect continued. "That's
not the person I am, and that's not the way I'll lead in this state." (NPR,
Jessica Taylor, Republican
Gianforte Wins Montana House Race Amid Assault Charge, May 26, 201712:45 AM ET)
Now, here’s a real
problem. Gianforte is a politician but
he’s also a human being; each human being has a “light” side of good, healthy
qualities & attributes. We also have
a shadow-side which usually is the part of ourselves we deny or disown. As a result, our shadow can sneak up on us,
catching us off-guard.
Gianforte’s
shadow-side was behind him, and not out in front where he could see it, and
possibly head-off potential problems.
Yes, Mr. Gianforte, this is the person you really are, so I suggest
that you find a way to see why you’re wearing this mask. Stop rationalizing, and using excuses to defend
yourself. See it for what it is, and
keep your eye on it.
All politicians
need to shift in this way if they want to continue growing and improving as a
human being. If they want to be
effective in elected office; if someone says or does something clearly
dysfunctional, as Gianforte did, maybe they’re in the wrong line of work? But an occupational or geographical change
won’t necessarily be the solution-violence and assault are in the hearts of
human beings, so that’s where change must start.
-Secondly, this incident indicates the stress &
“driven-ness” that the Republicans feel to pass a new Health Care law. It’s a fundamentalist, antithetical statement
against former President Obama. Republicans
are known for their “crazy-making” actions, “grandiose claims minus facts,”
competitiveness, and ignorance of the genuine needs of their constituency.
The face of the Republican Party has shifted like a
huge leisure-ship, like the Queen Mary, under the sway of Donald Trump. Trump’s political rhetoric has “made it OK”
to strike out, and to repudiate the non-white citizens of the U.S. This mixture of racist & non-factual
statements is now what fuels many Republican politicians and supporters.
So, body-slamming a reporter whose questions you
don’t like, is now OK, right? After all, Trump’s statements about wishing he
could punch someone in the face, his offer to pay the legal fees for supporters
who assaulted someone during the campaign, and his racist invectives, seemingly
now “down-lowed” due to being President.
You can’t change or erase the spots of a leopard-Trump’s
internal racism is there in his silent-breathing consciousness. Don’t be duped by his wealth, his power, and
his rhetoric. What you see & hear is
now hazily behind a smokescreen. But if
you look hard & critically, you see the layers of gray frosted smoke behind
the screen.
©Christopher Bear-Beam May 26, 2017
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