OPINION:
Recent anonymous death threats directed at outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s son are an appalling abuse of technology and a violation of the basic norms that hold a free society together (“Trump dubs Marjorie Taylor Greene a ‘Rotten Apple,’ as GOP feud boils over,” Web, Dec. 8).
Whatever our political disagreements may be, targeting a child is beyond the bounds of decency. It is not activism. It is not accountability. It is cruelty, and it must be condemned without hesitation.
Our nation is already strained by division and distrust. When political anger spills over into threats against families, we cross a line that endangers public officials and private citizens alike, as well as the democratic process itself. Violence, or the threat of it, is never a legitimate form of political expression.
We can debate policies. We can challenge leaders. We can disagree passionately about the direction of the country. But we must never allow our differences to justify intimidation or harm, especially toward those who did not choose public life.
At a moment when our civic fabric feels fragile, we need a renewed commitment to restraint, dignity and the protection of every family, regardless of party or ideology. Our democracy depends on it.
ROBERT E. LANE III
Janesville, Wisconsin
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