Dan Schinhofen: Divisive speech raises multiple concerns

There has been a lot of talk about “hate speech” and divisive language used by political leaders of late, and I have to say I am sick of them using us for their own agendas. The leaders of both parties have their catchphrases they know will incite their base and yet they still blame the “other side” for being divisive.

This next part is not a joke but is a real concern to me.

Bernie Sanders and the other “socialist Democrats” (their title, not mine) have for the past few years brought back an old favorite of the communist party by going after a minority group and yet the press has not called them out. The “rich” or as they like to call them, “the 1 percent.”

All our problems, according to the new socialist party, can be traced back to them. This should give us all pause as we have seen this playbook for decades and longer. The word they used to use was “Jews.” Every pogrom over the past few centuries blamed the rich, which resulted in the Jewish people becoming victims.

“Income inequality” is the new catchphrase, which simply means the government should seize all wealth and distribute it “evenly.” Where have you heard that before? Every communist and dictator that ever took power did it on the back of those “evil rich.” The funny thing about it is that those crying “income inequality” are themselves considered rich by most of us.

The top 1 percent pay more than 35% of taxes. The top 5% pay more than 55% of taxes. It seems Bernie and the other “Democratic socialists” are correct when they say the “rich” are not paying their “fair share” as they account for the majority of income to the government.

Now some of you who have been taken in by this rhetoric may not agree and I am sure will write nasty replies to this, but the facts are the facts. Others may be upset that I called this group a minority. Again, the numbers clearly show they are truly a minority. If skin color is all you base “minority” status on, then you might want to ask who the real bigots are.

Anyone who wants secure borders is now called a racist. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, running for the presidency, has stated, “It is not enough to just say you’re not a racist, you must prove it by your actions.” Great, so we all, with lighter skin, are now racists and must prove we are not. May as well ask, “Prove you’ve stopped beating your wife.” As a negative, it cannot be “proven.”

As a nation, we have come a long way in matters of race. As a nation, we elected a man of African descent twice to the presidency and yet the left keeps trying to accuse us all of being racists. I for one am sick of this.

In a “free country,” you will always have idiots with beliefs that are abhorrent to most of us but be careful what you ask for. Just ask the Germans who supported the taking of wealth from the Jews how that worked out.

Both parties have used our own innate fear of others to create an empire for themselves. We have all bought into this by saying things like, “All Democrats want to take our guns” or “All Republicans hate immigrants,” which statements are just not true. There are those in each party who do believe these things, but all this does is continue to divide us.

As we move deeper into the “silly season” (that’s what I call election cycles) we will hear more and more hate speech. It is up to us to unite this country as our political leaders, on both sides, have a vested interest in keeping us divided. After all, how else could they get us as members of their party if we don’t play along?

Vote for the person, not the party. Get to know your local representatives, and do not just mark an R or D, as that is how these two parties have kept control. Washington, Adams and other founders warned us that political parties were a great evil and it is plainly seen today.

“Those that do not remember history are doomed to repeat it.”

Dan Schinhofen is a former Nye County commissioner.