Editor’s Notes: Allowing extremists to win
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If you watched the depths to which political ads sank and then stared open-mouthed at news that the ads worked; if you looked at the results of elections in districts across the state and wondered if we've lost our minds, my first question is: Did you vote?
If so, continue to wonder.
If not, you've got no one to blame but yourselves.
Harsh? Look at what's happening in North Carolina, where the consequences of elections are a group of lawmakers who are so power mad they are passing a bill that repeals a health and safety exception to the state's ban on wearing masks in public, enhances penalties for wearing masks while committing another crime and -- in the same bill, purportedly about masks -- imposes new penalties for participating in demonstrations that are intended to block traffic.
Gee, it's impossible to guess what prompted the targeted action.
In fact, according to a report by The News and Observer in Raleigh, plenty of people do understand this is a two-pronged attack: against student protesters and against the immunocompromised.
If, as the News and Observer reports, some lawmakers claim this is about criminal activity, then why repeal the exception for health and safety? If it's about obscuring identity during the commission of a crime, why include the addition of penalties for blocking traffic?
But let's take this a step further. Residents on both sides of the Ohio River know there have been demonstrations here that involved groups of people wearing masks to obscure their identities.
A recent incident took place in Charleston, where a band of khaki-clad cowards with Patriot Front -- an avowed white supremacist, fascist and nationalist organization -- marched as a counter to the Race to End Racism being hosted by the YWCA of Charleston.
They were nearly all wearing hats and masks to obscure their faces.
I can't help but wonder: What if that march had taken place somewhere in North Carolina? Would Patriot Front have inspired a law against masks? If the law passes, will it be enforced against such groups?
Here's a chilling peek at what these allegedly Constitution-loving extremists are aiming for.
According to The News and Observer, N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Dist. 111, said, "If someone is going to come out and they're going to protest, and they're going to be in a public space out there, they ought to not be able to hide their identity."
What crime do you see mentioned?
These people will stop at nothing to control every aspect of their constituents' lives, "the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" be darned.
And again and again, I come back to what they could be thinking, removing the health and safety exception.
Perhaps I'm so disturbed by what's happening in another state because the results of Tuesday's election warn me we are in danger of tipping even further to the extreme here in West Virginia.
Being an intelligent, compassionate moderate (or even just not quite as extreme as the opponent) who is able to compromise and work with people from a range of political perspectives to serve West Virginians seems to be a handicap. Virtue is a vice, it seems. That's terrifying.
But November will be the real test. And perhaps some of those making the most noise will change their tune when it comes time to face a different kind of opponent. When it comes time to appeal to ALL their potential constituents.
Maybe, they'll be unmasked. We can only hope.
Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com