Maxine Waters has become known for her bold statements encouraging like-minded people to step up and make their grievances heard in a more assertive way than before. Many, especially those who support Trump, have interpreted this as a call to violence. Ironically, one of these people responded by leaving Waters a racist and threatening voicemail. Anthony Lloyd Scott was sentenced to six months of home detention, three years’ probation and 100 hours of community service for his racist death threat.
On several well-known talk shows, including The View, Waters’ statement has been analyzed and interpreted differently. People expected Waters to back down from her statement, but her resolve has only grown stronger as she has received threats and plenty of backlash. She responded to one threat with the phrase, “If you shoot at me, you better shoot straight.”
The irony in the backlash Waters has received from the republican party is their acceptance of the President’s usage of the very same tactics. In almost every tweet he shames someone for their beliefs, whether it be “crooked Hillary”, journalists in general, or his own staff, even saying he would defend his supporters should they become violent with a protester. Trump tweeted a response to Waters when her statement originally surfaced, which demonstrates this irony pretty clearly. “Congresswoman Maxine Waters, an extraordinarily low IQ person, has become, together with Nancy Pelosi, the Face of the Democrat Party. She has just called for harm to supporters, of which there are many, of the Make America Great Again movement. Be careful what you wish for Max!” Yet when Waters declares that those who oppose him should use similar, but nonviolent methods, she is threatened. There is clearly a cycle of political struggle here that needs to end, but the time has passed for playing by the rules. If they don’t apply to the president, why should they apply to those who oppose him?
Nobody is calling for violence, and certainly no one should stoop to the same level as Donald Trump. However, Trump and his supporters should not be immune to the public shame they bring upon others. The argument of “two wrongs don’t make a right” doesn’t apply here, and it’s a tactic that leaves those who oppose Trump with few options under his power. This isn’t about political differences anymore. In light of the recent discovery of unlawful detention centers used to house immigrants, many believe this is about valuing human life. Waters and others like her are striving to give people a more powerful way to fight back against policies they don’t agree with, as every day it seems less likely that the people can make change under this government.
Clearly the rules of politics have changed, with a man elected to office who has no issue with public shame, or even physical confrontation. Why then, should we continue to follow those rules? A nonviolent or public confrontation, such as making someone unwelcome at a restaurant, is nothing the people haven’t experienced, and is a tool we should reclaim.
