By JUAN JOSE GONZALES
Los Alamos
Regarding the words written by Anissa Tinnin (link), the executive director of the Republican Party of New Mexico on June 7, I submit the following:
Misoneism is a noun meaning hatred of change or innovation, hate, hatred – the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action. Misocainea is the hatred of new ideas.
Thank you for spelling out what you say most New Mexicans cannot see or hear and for laying out the dangers of “progressivism”.
“Like a thief in the night,” borrowed from the Bible, your words attempt to evoke feelings of fear regarding “other”. A republican from New Mexico recently was retweeted by President Trump and said; “The only good democrat is a dead democrat”. This rhetorical misoneism must stop.
This planet has a history strewn with the fear and hatred of others that has taken the lives of countless human beings. Yet history repeats itself here in New Mexico by those claiming to be New Mexicans.
Just over 100 years ago I lost two uncles who were democrats. They were hanged in Santa Fe for a murder that stemmed from a culture of political assassinations connected to the drama of the notorious “Santa Fe Ring”. Actual assassinations were the reality of the political landscape back then. It was just yesterday really. Thomas Catron defended my uncles and requested from the US Supreme Court, a stay of execution, which was not granted.
Treatment of people as “other” is reckless and wrong. Turn on the TV and see what is happening in the USA right now to see the divisions wrought by the notion of “other”. Treatment of people as “other” based on political affiliation reeks of the tactics of xenophobia and pushes a sentimental agenda of “other” as enemy. “Enemy”, naturally is what you want us to believe about “other”. Please stop this.
Your letter links the Bible to gun rights and constitutionality and the lives of the unborn, while waving the proverbial flag and alludes that everything is the progressives’ fault.
I have sometimes watched Ancient Aliens for laughs on TV and your political rhetoric sounds just like them. They blame everything on Aliens. The pyramids: Aliens built them. Technology: Aliens gave it to us. Genetic mutation: Aliens did it. Listening to these “Ancient Alien Theorists” it is apparent that Aliens gave humans innovation, evolution, and arts and science, too. It is amusing. Just substitute aliens for progressives, and that is the good-natured joke, get it?
When you say progressives are dangerous and about to enter the Round House it is fitting as it does resemble a flying saucer after all.
The words and sentiment of your warning seek political gain by demonizing a group of people using fear. Do the right thing and stick to the issues at hand: paying the light bill, fixing the roads, and keeping our schools funded. Please walk away from painting a group of people like you do. Your job should be sticking to the issues and please stay away from psychological manipulation under the guise of hugging the flag. Go hug a tree instead. This is the Land of Enchantment.
Open your eyes and ears (like you tell us New Mexicans to do) and look inside of yourself and ask why it is that you must demonize others who are different from you and you may find that you are psychologically projecting your shadow onto others utilizing fear and hatred to do so. Then you can understand and move away from these things.
It is time to do better, to awaken, to change, and to graduate. New wine requires new wine skins after all. Do not be afraid anymore. Misoneism will keep us stuck in the mire of the mud of history with no lessons learned, nor applied, so that we are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past, or else, until alas, Aliens intervene.
Progressivism: support for or advocacy of social reform. Really is that so scary after all?
Necessity is the mother of invention and often it is innovation, imagination, and invention that are responsible for progress. Please remember Anissa, some people still believe that the world is flat. One hundred years ago our best science recognized that there was only one galaxy: The Milky Way galaxy. Now the count is two-trillion galaxies. Evolve politicians. Evolve. And stay out of psychology.
