Maxine’s Mean-Spirited Advice to Democrats

Whether or not you are a Democrat, or side with any of their policies or philosophies, I sincerely hope you do not side with the rantings of Maxine Waters mean-spirited advice.
I won’t even comment on her misguided ravings about “the children” (there are at least two sides to that story, but I’m not the one to expound on it, not having done enough research to make a case for it one way or the other at this point) but I cannot avoid commenting on her suggestions and advice to Democrats, to “her people,” about what to do to any Trump cabinet member when they see them out in public.
In essence, she was advocating the most mean-spirited kind of action-taking, that of verbally and psychologically attacking peaceful people going about their everyday lives, such as having dinner in a restaurant with a family member or such or even getting gas at a
service station. She was egging “her people” on to harass cabinet members up close and personal and rallied them into a frenzy, suggesting they use bullying tactics, and not be afraid to boo and hiss at them to show them that they are not at all welcome.
It was interesting how Ms. Waters pulled God into her corner, and even put words into his mouth as if he personally spoke to her and actually told her he was on her side and “her people’s” side. Whether or not Maxine Waters believes she is a religious person or a godly person, or even if she reads the Bible every day, I’m absolutely sure that God did not tell her it was okay to bully and harass those in the Trump administration, and that such behavior is what he wanted them to do.
What if there were an equivalent Republican or two to Rep. Maxine Waters, spewing their own hateful vitriolic words of advice, advocating political violence that could flare up into more than bullying and harassment, actually causing bodily harm or more? What would Maxine and “her people” have to say about that? What if children
got hurt — since she seems to care greatly about children?
She has made it far too easy to discredit her. Whether or not she believes in her heart that she is doing the right thing, how is what she is advocating any different from those who advocate rioting in the streets, burning buildings and cars, and desecrating whole cities and towns because those against whom she is raging believe differently
from herself, or have a different political philosophy? Nobody starts out to ruin their city or their town, or ruin perfectly good cars that are parked on the street not hurting anyone. And who really wants to set their own community on fire? But it happens, once we allow and encourage mob rule, or spewing hate at those we don’t agree with, and follow the rants and ravings of someone who wishes to make a change for the better, but can only think of one way to do it — through political-flavored verbal violence that, once it is out in full swing, can have consequences that no one anticipated.
How in the world does she reconcile advice to “her people” such as there should be “no sleep, no peace” for the people responsible for the separation of children from their parents, which was part of the recent “zero tolerance” immigration policy? No sleep, no peace was meant to be literal, while “her people” would do what they could to
annoy and make noise at the homes of those Maxine had singled out for that kind of bullying.
Saturday on MSNBC, Rep. Maxine Waters said she had “no sympathy for the people in this administration” who “know what they are doing is wrong.” That is from her standpoint, of course. I would dare say that most people have no sympathy for those, in any situation, who know what they are doing is wrong and do it anyway, especially if what
those people do ends up hurting them or their loved ones.
Why does Maxine Waters think that she has some special “care taking” attitude toward life (or that she is being a spokesperson for all of the Democratic party) and is just being a necessary do-gooder in her own way? She may well think that and believe that she is, but is that what she would teach her own or any other children? If their little
friends didn’t have the same ideas, thoughts, or beliefs as she felt were acceptable for her children to have, would she tell her children to bully their so-called friends or playmates to tears until they were forced to change schools? Would she suggest her children boo and hiss at their little friends until everyone starts to chime in and do the
same because it must be a good thing to do since Mama Maxine has told them so?
She also suggested and advised that citizens should be “screaming in the streets” and should “harass” and protest members of the Trump administration wherever they find them. How nice for her to have so much power, and for “her people” to do her bidding, with no regard at all for the deliberate pain and suffering to those she and “her
people” are attacking, to say nothing about the public disruptions and the disturbances at all the places “her people” are making those visible and audible displays of revolt against the Trump administration.
Waters finished her vitriolic advice-giving with a call to action: “If you see anybody from that cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. You push back on them. Tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere!”
Right. That’s what Jesus taught. Hate your enemies and abuse them in whatever way you can! I think not. Not that I think many Democrats would go so far as to love Republicans on general principles, but I may be naive enough to think that most Democrats don’t really want to hate and abuse Republicans on that political score alone.
Disagree with others, yes. State your complaints, yes. Offer other solutions, okay. But advocate an agenda that hurts others and fosters hate and divisiveness? What kind of a country do we want to be?
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Maramis Choufani is the Managing Editor of the Las Vegas Tribune. She writes a weekly column in this newspaper. To contact Maramis, email her at maramis@lasvegastribune.com.

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