The Politics of Fear and Hate Make Their Appearance in The Villages

I have an Obama/Biden sign on the windshield of my golf cart. On Friday My wife and I were returning from a trip to Spanish Springs. At a point in the path where we were just coming out of a right angle turn, another on-coming cart was slowing down to make the turn. As our carts passed, the driver in the approaching cart shouted out at us, “Traitors!” In an instant, this person had spewed forth his opinion of anyone who apparently does not support Senator John McCain and the policies he professes.

I was amazed at how upsetting it was to find myself the target of this troglodyte’s venom. Moreover, it is hard to think of a rational response to such a wholly irrational and hate-filled action as was directed to us. The McCain campaign has, for weeks, sponsored ads and unleashed Governor Sarah Palin to espouse the politics of fear and division. I was the recipient of the results of one Villager’s acceptance and actual practice of this hate-based politics. Now, Mr. McCain has tried to put the Genie back into the bottle as attendees at his political rallies are openly and actively revealing the extent to which they have accepted, believe in, verbalize and adopted the politics of fear. I would like to believe Mr. McCain’s remonstrance would end the appeals to man’s baser instincts, but I am realistic enough to know it won’t.

I do know that one man’s indecent behavior does not speak for the entire, larger community. Let us hope that most other Villagers who support Mr. McCain and the policies he espouses would pursue their politics on a more rational and less hate-filled level.