By the time I had found the bandwidth to write about it, the controversy about County Council candidate David Yungmann's recent mailer-- which listed, along the main reasons to vote for Yungmann, was his successful efforts to fight a mosque from coming to west County-- had died down. The Yungmann campaign had expressed regret, the County Executive weighed in on Yungmann's being a good guy, and Yungmann and the Howard County Muslim Council agreed to engage in dialogue. So that's it, right?
No, that's not it. Because the explanation of "Uh, we didn't think of it" or "overzealous campaign volunteer" or "slipped past all the editorial steps" doesn't wash here. Because this. No one would think for a second to write on their campaign literature that a main reason why people should vote for them is because they successfully fought the building of a church or synagogue in their District. Such a person would be called a bigot or anti-Semite, for starters. They would be decried by both parties and would be run out of town on the proverbial rail. And the political structure would be correct to do these things. Yet somehow, someone, even the proverbial "overzealous volunteer", thinks it's OK to say so about a mosque? I don't think so.
So, words matter. All that apologizing the couple weeks ago? I will bet that it didn't reach all the people who read the mailer. Or, that everyone who got the mailer who read the apologizing and clarifying will have a change in perspective because of it. And on that score, I get that there's only so much other people can do. People have to change their own thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors.
But we also don't need to egg on the foolishness. Let's look at the news last week, and you see a few reasons why it's important that people in the public eye don't use language that feed into radical beliefs and behaviors. Because those people on the fringes will feel vindicated, indeed correct, when they hear someone they respect say things they are thinking. And so vindicated, they are emboldened to act out on their beliefs. To become more radical in them or, in the cases last week, act on them. With deadly, tragic, horrifying results.
I'm sure my friends on the right are going to have at it with me "attacking" poor Dave Yungmann and not leaving that whole situation with the mailer alone. I could not more strongly disagree that I am attacking Yungmann. What I am saying is that the situation is a microcosm that is endemic of a national situation. And that anyone who says that the ills of national politics don't exist in Howard County is either deceiving themselves or choosing to attempt to deceive the public. That person is either living in Fantasyland, or is a local Republican loyalist. Or, possibly, both.
Let's be careful out there.
#hocopolitics #hococouncil
"...you see a few reasons why it's important that people in the public eye don't use language that feed into radical beliefs and behaviors.... And that anyone who says that the ills of national politics don't exist in Howard County is either deceiving themselves or choosing to attempt to deceive the public."
This is coming from the person that recently called for Jon Weinstein's death because he endorsed Allan Kittleman. When are you going to apologize for those comments, or at least admit it was a really stupid thing to say considering everything going on in our country?
Posted by: Amanda | October 29, 2018 at 06:44 AM
And not one person has come out to remind the public that it was Vicky Cutroneo that started several FB groups to make aware of the Dar Salaam 'school/mosque", and to fight it's existence. Sure Yungmann participated, as did many, but he didn't organize and administer the groups that opposed it. The many hateful comments have been archived. Yungmann's mailer was a definite dog whistle for those that remember.
Posted by: anonymous | October 29, 2018 at 08:16 AM