Why we need to keep talking about the slur against Haitian immigrants. Trigger warning: discussion of animal abuse. [View all]

[thucythucy]

People have posted here that we should stop posting about the "They're eating dogs" nonsense now being spouted by the MAGA cult. One post in particular mentions how triggering these discussions can be, which is a valid point to make. As a community, DU strives to be sensitive and empathetic toward each other. And in a better world or in better times I might agree that bringing this up has served its purpose, and then some.

However, there are two factors to consider.

First, the GOP candidates for president and vice president continue to bring this up, and evidently there are millions of their followers who are willing to believe it. To point out the absurdity, with or without humor, is relevant to a national campaign in which we are fighting for the very existence of our democratic institutions. Add to this how the story is intensely racist and demonizes an entire community. There are some folks deep in the MAGA cult that may well end up targeting entirely innocent people because of this vicious lie.

In fact, the fallout from this lie has already begun:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143305531

For this reason alone it's crucial that this racist slur be debunked at every turn.

Second, as has been said many times, with Republicans every accusation is a confession.

Trump has announced he is willing to place on his cabinet an individual who at the very least has a disturbing relationship with animals. There's the dead bear in the trunk dumped in Central Park. There's the beached whale that he decapitated with a chain saw in front of his six year old daughter. There's a video of this possible cabinet member actually eating a dog--which may have brought about the infamous brain worm infection.

So clearly this sort of behavior is not a problem for Trump and his minions.

Just as the accusations of pedophilia and sex trafficking they make against Democrats warrant a closer look at Trump's own behavior, I think both the accusation of animal cruelty and the acceptance of RFK Jr. make me wonder what might be under the GOP hood.

There is, after all, the photo of one of Trump's spawn holding with evident glee the severed tail of a dead elephant.

The media won't go there, but I think we should.

As a rape survivor I know something about being triggered. I also know that sometimes being triggered is, unfortunately, what needs to happen in order to confront the ugliness around us.

For what it's worth--just my humble opinion.