#dontvotetrump

With the election in arms reach, there has been more and more talk about the violence that could erupt from the results. The most dangerous rhetoric has been from the President himself. Trump said,  “We’re going to have to see what happens,” setting himself up as arbiter of the election. This rhetoric has pushed Militia groups like the Three-Percenters, Oath Keepers, Boogaloo Boys, and the Proud Boys to counter-protest the mask mandate and BLM protests, inciting more violence. They rally behind the President because they have this feeling that he supports them, even though he has never stated he supports them directly. Though with the first Presidential Debate, he told the Proud Boys to “Stand Back and Stand By.” Of course, the Proud Boys took this as an order and ran with it, having a sense of recognition and support from the President if he were not to win the election. With 540 hate groups as of 2019, increasing by 55% from 2017, it is fair to say that violence won’t be too far off, especially with the current rhetoric from the President. We have already seen some of the actions that these right-wing extremist militia groups are willing to do. In March, antigovernmental, pro-gun groups protested Michigan Governor Whitmer’s stay-at-home-orders. Some of those who were protesting allegedly gathered weapons, plotted and trained.  On October 8, 2020, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the arrests of 13 suspects accused of plotting to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, and otherwise violently overthrow the state government.  The suspects were tied to a paramilitary militia group that called themselves the Wolverine Watchmen. With these right-wing extremists feeling more and more comfortable in showing themselves in public with weapons of war, they are not just trying to make their voices heard, they are stating that they are willing to use those weapons on civilians. For the upcoming election groups like these as well as “Trumpers”, believe if Trump wins the election, the system works; if he loses, the system is corrupt. This belief is what makes not only myself afraid for the future of this democracy, but what should make you afraid. Stay safe and don’t support Authoritarians. 

sources:

https://www.adl.org/education/resources/backgrounders/militia-movement

https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3zmj5/the-boogaloo-bois-are-bringing-their-ar-15s-and-civil-war-ideology-to-the-lockdown-protests

https://www.splcenter.org/news/2020/03/18/year-hate-and-extremism-2019

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/10/02/refusing-accept-results-presidential-election-triggered-civil-war/

I’m not saying that all @realDonaldTrump supporters are this out there, but this is the Trump culture really does breathe hatred. This is right-wing patriotism gone dogmatically out of control.