Julie Delegal
Dear Governor Jeb Bush:
At one time, while you were still running for president, you were asked an interesting question: “If you could go back in time, and ‘take out’ Hitler, would you?”
You answered, as most of us would, with a resounding “Yes.”
It’s 2016, and I’ll spare you any comparisons between the Republican nominee for President, Donald Trump, and Adolf Hitler. I won’t conflate Trump’s brand of authoritarianism with National Socialism (Nazism), fascism, or any other identifiable political ideology. I won’t read aloud passages from “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich,” as my husband, chillingly, has begun to do.
And, unlike Trump himself, I certainly won’t advocate violence against anyone.
But I will draw your attention to the recent election in Austria, where a candidate peddling false nostalgia in a rapidly changing world was “very narrowly defeated.” Washington Post columnist Carl Bildt invokes the writings of political philosopher Karl Popper, warning that the “strain of civilization that can occur when change is seen as too rapid, and the lure of a return to the tribe makes itself felt.”
And I’d be remiss as a citizen if I didn’t ask you — and the other leaders of the party formerly known as Republican — what are you going to do about Donald Trump?
I know, Governor Bush, you saw the same neon light that I did, splitting the night, flashing its warning.
Thankfully, you were not silent.
You have announced you will boycott the Republican National Convention this summer in July.
So why have you gone silent again now?
Trump’s authoritarianism is dangerous. It’s an interaction between a charismatic figure who simplifies politics and policies in a deliciously irresistible way, and followers who care less about policy and more about what Trump represents.
Trump exudes nostalgia for the old order: the white, male, hierarchical order; the order in which being rich bestows instant authority, and an extra measure of citizenship; the order in which Dad’s word was law and was never questioned at home; where might ultimately made right — and the mighty didn’t apologize for it; where white men were safe and secure and free to pursue their work unfettered by those who didn’t belong.
Those pesky others are excluded from this particular brand of nostalgia, because nostalgia, by definition, is a Big Lie. It conveniently leaves out the bad stuff: women being beaten in their own homes; black people hung from trees.
At Trump rallies, the Ones-Who-Don’t-Belong are chased out violently. With Trump’s approval:
“I’d like to punch him in the face, I’ll tell you.”
“In the good old days, this doesn’t happen, because they used to treat them very, very rough.”
“I love the old days. You know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They’d be carried out on a stretcher, folks.”
“If you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would ya? Seriously. Just knock the hell out of them.”
Here is a man who clearly understands the tremendous power he has over his followers:
“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”
He is a nightmare come true for America, a Philip Roth novel horrifyingly brought to life.
Trump has created an in-group based on the worst imaginable unifiers: racism, sexism, xenophobia, and religious bigotry. Worse, he’s given these views legitimacy by using “economic dissatisfaction” as a pretext for mob rule.
Who is going to counter that, if not you, Governor Bush? You know better. Your family knows better.
As a member of the opposite political party, I nevertheless once had hope in your dad’s moderation; his kinder, gentler ambitions, even when — in a near-Trumpian manner — he expressed his love for your children as “the little brown ones.” I forgave him. I believe you have, as well.
Be clear. I’ve been a vocal critic of Bush-brand education reform since its inception. And I thank God for the liberty to write my opinions about those policies.
That’s why I’m pleading with you now to do whatever you can to preserve the fundamental values of this nation, even if it means shelving your presidential ambitions.
Create a third party. Run a top-of-the-ticket slate and show this nation what conservatism really is — and is not. Let the down-ballot Republicans stay where they are and support who they will.
Now is the time for you to slaughter the Southern strategy chickens that have come home to roost. It’s time to rip out the GOP’s harvest of thorns and sow anew.
Will you expose this neon god for the dangerous fraud that he is? Or, with apologies to Paul Simon, are we just echoes in the wells of silence?
___
Julie Delegal, a University of Florida alumna, is a contributor for Folio Weekly, Jacksonville’s alternative weekly, and writes for the family business, Delegal Law Offices. She lives in Jacksonville, Florida.
3 comments
Randall Townsend
May 28, 2016 at 10:57 am
The Federal Level of the Bush #41 Conspiracy to do Fraud and Deceptive Practices to continue their HOBB’S ACT 18 U.S.C. 1951, Violations in the Oil and Banking industries is well reported.
However, for control of the Food and Drug (Legal and Illegal) Industries which are also big political donors little is reported for their bribery to control commerce and donations for their own private profit as has been proved in this case by his deceptively operating through the Bush family and “Others” being placed in key Control positions to conspire against Whistle Blower Townsend and to “put in a false public light” Publix Et Al. as Lawful and Townsend as unlawful. These persons include:
Son Jeb Bush and
Daughter Dorothy’s Bush Father in Law, George William Koch and son or Son in Law Robert P. Koch a claimed Democrat, lobbyist and active donor;
Son Neil Bush as with Common Core and Charles and David Koch brothers
Son George W. Bush, President #43
Bush #41’s Drug Czar Bob Martinez from Tampa as Former Mayor
Bush #43’s Housing and Urban Development Director Mel Martinez from Orlando as the Orlando County Commission Chairperson replacing Linda Chapin.
Bush #43’s Termination in 2006 of U.S. Attorney’s as some talking to Townsend about this Malicious Enterprise.
Bush’s Lawyer Rick Scott, Governor Of Florida and participant with the Bushs in multiple issues in the Medical Insurance Industry (Tenet HealthCare {Jeb Bush Joined the Board in 2007] and Columbia/HCA) even with the Koch Brothers owner of Georgia Pacific another Nova Sales Company as were many of the Koch Companies.
Charles T. Canady a Democrat who switched in 1989 to Republican, who worked at the Holland & Knight Law firm and then Lane & Trohn (Now Gray Robinson).
And not yet served Grady Judd, Individual and as Sheriff of Polk County.
It is a well document fact that during Townsends Joint Venture Contract with Lane, Lane who had a destroyed business and personal relation with all the companies except Publix promoted Honorable and Skilled Townsend as his business partner to secure jointly in this business venture companies as Bonneau Sunglasses, Foster Grant Sunglasses, Fuji Batteries, ICU Imports, Wine Companies as St. Johns Distributors and Devine Distributors (who dominated only the Publix business) as Companies listed in Section One of the “Agreement” and other new companies which Lane dealt with as McCormick Spices and “others” as still all unknown because the Company records despite the multiple Court Orders of Judge Muszynski were intentionally ignored by Williams and Popper and the basis by Chapin to move the case to his controlled Orange County to Senior Judge Rom Powell who reported to Chapin’s wife, Linda as the Orange County Commission Chairperson who could extort a suppression of evidence which would and has always exonerated Townsend and all his claims about the crimes of Lane and Publix Et Al. It was then also Chapin who began threats that Townsend stop all his business practices broader than the 3 limitations of the Sarasota Beverage Test case and even those outside of Florida as Chapin said they competed with Lane. Townsend contended there was never a “Non- Compete Clause” in the contract and that all notifications were lawfully done. Now the facts are clear that the bribery was even the goal of the Chapin Et al political gang to remove the lines from Townsend and get them to sign with Lane so bribers would be paid.
Jeb Bush- Illegal Loyalty Team as Gerald Bailey, John Grant, Ken Conner, David Gibbs III, Charlie Crist until Jeb changed to Marco Rubio, Charles Canady Jr. Pam Bondi, Will Weatherford, Robert O’Neill, Mark Ober, David Gee, Gary Terry, Tim Jeffers, Joe Howlett Et Al; Sheriff Henderson, Sheriff William Coats, Sheriff Everett Rice, Sheriff Bob White, Sheriff Chris Nocco,
Paul Tash—Controlling the media and debate forums through his media network.
Appointed Judges Marva Crenshaw to take 02-03812, case away from Judge Arnold when Charles Scruggs and John Grant and Charles Denny IV are caught in frauds with Judge Arnold as Grant admitted his bribery on 11/10/2012.
Heather Gray caught in scandal to be disbarred and connected with the Gray Robinson Law Firm as one of the largest Lobbyist Firms in Florida, prohibited Appellants from our lawful Due Process Day in Court before a Jury as the Complaints and our Constitutions required.
Now this case fully reports these Appellee’s and “Others Doe to be named” extended their original frauds and deceptive practices to Townsend and his family and customers since 1987, to include his Religious Society Citizens in these Appellee’s Malicious Enterprise to obtain monies from “Not For Profits” now called “Black Money” and Rights from “Not For Profits” so to advance the illegal agenda’s of these Appellee’s as reported herein who even admitted as Crenshaw ET Al (As All Judges) and Denny IV (All Officers of the Courts and those he claims to represent) did and confessed to their “Hate Crimes” done up to and including 5/10/2006, and still allowed to be continued by them through this day.
The above is proof of what is filed in my 30 year case!
Currently 2DCA16-0612
Townsend v Grant ET Al
@ablackwindblows
May 29, 2016 at 7:36 pm
Obvious call for anti-Trump move disguised as pro-GOP.
Bob
May 30, 2016 at 6:58 pm
I am a minority in the edge of the United States (and we are not a minority in our state depending on how you define “us”) and I am truly disgusted by what you are saying.
Not because you have a different opinion from me, not because you have your own views but because you have become a coward against ideas you consider different from your own and must paint everything foreign to you as barbaric and evil. That sentiment that makes you uncomfortable about Trump is exactly the reason why you don’t hesitate to paint him as a racist.
Listen, there is nothing worse for me in the WORLD than to imagine a Christian-based, White-only or white-centric world where arrogant white people (not arrogant BECAUSE they’re white) rule but still…. I just don’t get this negative evil paranoia delusions that I do from Trump that you do.
Why do you feel this way? I can only conclude its because quite frankly, you have conditioned yourself to find great evil in those you don’t agree with. In that sense, you seem to be no better than these so-called racists you speak diminutively of.
I am a minority. I have no massive social group outside of my state that specifically caters to my culture. I’m ok with that. I don’t follow this-one-God-or-else cult.
I am a minority but I’m generally happy. And I’m also happy to support Trump.
I am saddened that you can’t accept why I would support him without you deep down thinking that 1) I am lacking cognitive functions to be rational to be able to think the way I do 2) Deep down I must be some hateful evil person that loves suffering of others 3) That I am not smart enough to make decisions for myself because you think I’m making some sort of great mistake.
I presume that’s all you think of Trump and Trump Supporters. Hateful evil people that aren’t smart enough and too stupid to make independent decisions and are willing to be swindled by a con-man Trump.
Thanks for your vote of confidence Julie Delegal, I’m amazed that’s what you think of us.
You must also think that Trump is against immigrants too, when he never said that. (I’ve religiously followed all the debates, not because I cared about politics but at first for entertainment…. and I slowly got disgusted by the media reporting afterwards for the first time in my life!!)
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