It has been an interesting week – to say the least. What began as a coordinated ambush at a candidate event at Harvard has now turned into a full-fledged campaign of harassment and intimidation by an otherwise forgettable political candidate seeking attention. I have been accused of being just about every “ism” that there is – and then some. I suppose that the old adage applies here that if you throw enough mud at a wall surely some of it will stick.
I have never shied away from expressing myself either publicly or privately and I don’t intend to censor myself in the future. I usually pause before making comments, but not always – especially in a supercharged atmosphere such as when people are falsely accused or physically attacked or intimidated. I also maintain a very iconoclastic sense of humor – no doubt influenced by the National Lampoon Magazine and its successor Saturday Night Live as well as its predecessor the Harvard Lampoon. Unfortunately, Lenny Bruce died a long time ago and “The Left” couldn’t recognize humor, irony, or satire today if they were hit over the head with a wet fish or graced with a pie in their faces. They also fully subscribe to the politics of personal destruction – which is even more troubling and even potentially dangerous.
I now have legitimate concerns about my personal safety and the safety of those who choose to support me, and I worry that this harassment may cross over into areas having nothing whatsoever to do with my roles as either a political candidate or as the editor of the online Cambridge Civic Journal.
That said, now that I have been labeled a racist, a transphobe, a bigot, an Islamophobe, a right-winger, an anti-abortion crusader, and even an anti-vaxxer by these humorless and clueless petulant individuals (and other candidates more concerned about their electability than the truth), I suppose I have to say a few words in response – and let the chips fall where they may.
I have not viewed the tweets and accusations that have been hurled at me, but others have alerted me to some of it, and for that I am grateful. I do not follow any individuals on social media who engage in attacking me personally, and I “unfriend” or “unfollow” anyone who misbehaves in this way. I will add that when I watch TV I’ll sometimes toggle between CNN and FoxNews because I want to see what people on both sides of our current political chasm have to say, but we actually watch BBC more than both of them combined because they’re one of the few outlets that at least tries to be objective in their reporting.
Now, on to the good stuff:
I apparently have commented with words to the effect of “Islam and government don’t mix well” – and for this I have been called an Islamophobe.
Fact: Islam and government do not mix well – at least for those of us who grew up in a country that believes in democracy and freedom of religion. Islamic governments actually believe that all laws are derived from God, and that democracy is blasphemy because it maintains the belief of “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” You may feel free to disagree with me about this, but my point of view aligns pretty well with most Americans – even if some Cambridge residents of the Far Left see things differently.
I once expressed outrage on social media in response to a Sudanese woman who was to be executed soon after she gave birth because she had converted to Christianity – and for this I was called both an Islamophobe and a racist. This was especially memorable because the individual shouting this at me was then-City Councillor Nadeem Mazen, and he did so in the Sullivan Chamber in City Hall. I have not spoken with him since.
Fact: Any government or judicial system that would sentence a woman to death for choosing to leave a religion is barbaric. I make no excuses for the fact that I believe in freedom of religion. This is what most Americans believe – even though I have my doubts these days about some on the Far Right. Fortunately, the condemned woman was eventually allowed to leave the country.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/sudanese-woman-sentenced-death-be-freed-government-official-n119361
I was surprised to learn that in some public libraries there were “drag time story hour” events taking place that were publicly funded. On that same day I saw that one was taking place in Cambridge and simply made a note of this fact – and for this I was called a transphobe.
Fact: I really had never heard of such a thing – even though people apparently argue about this all the time now. In case you actually care what I think, I don’t believe it is age appropriate to subject young children to things that are either sexually provocative or overtly political. I understand that some people in Cambridge have a different point of view on such matters, but I daresay that my point of view is quite mainstream and I don’t even see it as either conservative or controversial. I don’t care what adults or even adolescents choose to see or do, but I do think that young children should be shielded from most of this. I have been especially attacked on this by Dan Totten (city council candidate) as well as a rather egotistical fellow named Loren Crowe who has chosen to malign me endlessly. This is the same Loren Crowe, by the way, who once expressed the point of view that Mount Auburn Cemetery was a waste of good real estate. For the record, I fully embrace the American ideal of “pursuit of happiness” – and that means that if a person old enough to make responsible decisions wants to declare a different gender and take whatever steps they feel are necessary to achieve that, this is their inalienable right as an American to do so.
[Addendum: Though the initial example of the above referenced events was quite alarming, several friends whose opinions I trust and respect have assured me that these events are generally quite benign, kid-friendly, and that their children really like them. Live and learn.]
I am not sure where anyone got this one from, but I have apparently been called an anti-vaxxer.
Fact: This one is downright comical in its distortion of reality, but I suppose that when innuendo is your thing then all facts go right out your window. I am fully vaccinated and I am planning to get the latest Covid vaccine in the next week or so, and I may even get the flu shot at the same time. That said, I feel no animus whatsoever toward people who have chosen to not be vaccinated – though I do worry about them sometimes. Both of my living brothers and some of my dearest friends have chosen to not be vaccinated, and I have friends who have died from Covid. I continue to post Covid-related information on the Cambridge Civic Journal – at this point mainly to reassure people that there are far fewer reasons to be fearful now than when we were all neurotic with fear in early 2020 – including me. I actually find statistics reassuring because it takes away a lot of the mystery and replaces it with facts.
As for the accusation that I am anti-abortion, the truth is that I have always been pro-choice. I hope that my more conservative friends won’t hold that against me.
I have expressed disdain for some Far Left political figures – and for this I have been labeled a racist and a right-wing conservative.
Fact: I have little use for the so-called “Justice Democrats” – and that includes people like Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and their whole “Squad”. I voted for Hillary Clinton and not Bernie Sanders. I voted for Mike Capuano and not Ayanna Pressley. This makes me a Moderate Democrat – not a conservative and certain not “right-wing” or racist. In the 2020 election I was an enthusiastic supporter of Joe Biden because he was the closest thing to a centrist in the Democratic field of candidates. My point of view was and is aligned with most Democrats across America. I would never vote for an amoral narcissist and insurrectionist like Donald Trump.
I will add that I generally dislike socialists – except for those friends of mine who are socialists, and there are a few. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their various chapters, in particular, strike me more like fascists than anything else, and they rarely disappoint when they go out of their way to shout down others and actively work to suppress free speech – which they clearly feel only applies to them. The various “Our Revolution” chapters are indistinguishable from their DSA counterparts – and I suspect that their shared membership would make for a very darkened Venn diagram.
I also am an unapologetic defender of free speech and the right to conduct peaceful protests. This apparently offended at least one person when I expressed the point of view that even a white-supremacist and/or straight-pride group that wants to have a parade on the Boston Common or elsewhere has every right to do so (as long as they are not inciting violence) – even though I have nothing but disdain for the people who feel the need to make such statements. You either believe in free speech or you don’t, and if you think it doesn’t apply to those with abhorrent opinions then you don’t understand the whole idea of free speech, and the U.S. Supreme Court has fully confirmed this interpretation for many decades.
Someone apparently took great exception to the fact that I have a positive view of Charlie Baker, a Republican.
Fact: There are good reasons why there are now more unenrolled voters in Massachusetts than Democrats – even if many of them vote generally for Democrats. I am a registered Democrat, but I have on more than a few occasions voted for Republicans in Massachusetts elections. One reason is that I think we need to move away from being effectively a one-party state, and I wish Massachusetts Republicans would shed some of their association with religious themes and rediscover their “good government” roots from the days when they had a dominant presence in Massachusetts and all of New England. We would all be better for this, including life-long Democrats. I do have a positive view of Charlie Baker. I would even consider voting for him for President if he were one day to choose to run – though that seems impossible with the current horrorshow that is the national Republican Party – and national politics in general.
I believe someone was offended by my being offended about protesters who chain themselves to barrels and/or epoxy themselves to the asphalt in order to obstruct roadways in the name of “climate justice”.
Fact: Guilty as charged. I have never seen any merit in this brand of narcissistic protest. If somebody needs to get to work or if an emergency vehicle needs to get to a destination, there is no way on earth I will ever take the side of some protester who is trying to make some (incredibly ineffective) political statement. The right to peaceful protest ends where you deny the rights of others.
I don’t know if anyone has yet lashed out me for this, but I am generally supportive of the Cambridge Police Department as one of the best-trained and most empathetic departments in the entire country. That, of course, is not a statement that every single Cambridge Police Officer is auditioning for sainthood, but pretty much all whom I have met in recent years impress me as the kind of people who I would like to know as personal friends. I believe the Cambridge Police as well as the City Administration have acted very responsibly in all that they have done after the unfortunate tragedy that took place early this year. This won’t make me any friends among the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) nitwits who continued to shout down City Council meetings this year, but I don’t really like any of those people anyway and I always thought they were more interested in building their brand than actually pursuing justice. Vigilante justice, by the way, is not justice.
Speaking of police and public safety, I think the City made a great move in creating the new Community Safety Department. On the other hand, I have never supported the so-called H.E.A.R.T proposal and I have generally viewed it as a political patronage scheme from people who have never disguised their overt hostility toward police in general and their ultimate goal of abolishing police entirely. For this I am quite sure that the proponents view me as an evil racist for speaking against their quest for funding with little or no accountability. I still cannot fathom why the City Administration continues to entertain their proposals – except as a purely political concession to some city councillors. In contrast, the Community Safety Department seems to be making all the right moves recently as they try to get established.
Have I missed anything? I’m sure I have, and I’m sorry if anyone failed to appreciate my sense of humor (actually, I’m not really sorry) or failed to see either the irony or the absurdity of something I said over the last quarter-century.
Finally…..
To all those candidates who have chosen political ass-covering and association with the Orwellian tactics of one angry candidate (who I happen to know that few, if any, of you actually like), rest assured that I won’t be ranking any of you on my ballot this year or ever again, and I will encourage others who value actual leadership in candidates (as opposed to the BS in your campaign literature and on your yard signs) to do the same. Shall I name names? That sounds so McCarthyesque, but you know who you are.
And to those who think it’s perfectly OK to disparage other candidates through guilt by association simply because they have some affiliation with me or who choose to remain friendly with me despite all the libel and slander that you are are directing at me, have a nice life. These are the tactics of Joseph McCarthy who I am sure is now looking down upon you and holding you in full embrace.
And One Last Note – to “The Press” and anyone either aspiring to be journalists or “social media influencers” or, for that matter, claiming to be actual journalists: Try doing your homework first and learn to stop jumping on opportunities to get more “hits” by stoking the flames of manufactured controversy. You are probably better than that – if you actually make an effort.
Robert Winters
Learn about all the candidates at the Cambridge Candidate Pages: http://vote.cambridgecivic.com
Robert Winters Candidate Website: http://vote.rwinters.com
Cambridge Civic Journal: http://rwinters.com CCJ Forum: http://cambridgecivic.com