Chester County Republicans using fear tactic

The instant my son was born I understood a mother’s instinct to jump in front of a moving car to push him to safety. When my 44-year-old sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, she became paralyzed with indecision about choosing treatment options. The night Donald Trump was elected, a close friend seriously considered which country he should move to.

Fear is a fundamental human self-protection instinct. Fear triggers us to “fight, freeze or flee” in life-threatening situations, to protect ourselves or our loved ones. So when I saw the full page ad that the Chester County Republican Committee ran in the Daily Local News and on an electronic billboard on the days leading up to last week’s election, my head “got it” — that fearmongering was the tried and true strategy for getting out the Republican vote.

But fear of what? The image they chose was the face — mainly the eyes — of a young black child. The words referenced the values of Free Speech and Parental Rights. The tag line was “Stop the Insanity.” But that image. It was chosen to invoke a visceral racial fear, for whites, of Blacks. It was the latest

version of the racial dog whistle we’ve been hearing for decades. You remember if you’re old enough: Nixon’s “Law and Order.” Reagan’s “Welfare Queen.” George H.W. Bush’s “Willie Horton” ad. And now Fox News’ “Critical Race Theory.”

I do feel deep visceral fear — of the Republican platform. It’s extreme. It’s pitting us against each other, to distract us from the dark money and unfettered capitalism interests that are behind so much of the discord in our politics. If we fight each other instead of fighting for our democracy, our planet and a prosperous America for all, the big money men will win — and win big. And the rest of us will all lose.