Take home-grown authoritarians seriously | Letter to the editor

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Many Democrats in leadership positions have spoken out against the violence and the intentions of Bolsonaro’s supporters storming Brazil’s key federal buildings yesterday.

However, the hypocrisy in these statements comes from the fact that the instigators of January 6 and members of Congress that aided, abetted, and supported the Republican coup attempt here have suffered zero consequences. In fact, they control the House! They’ve been rewarded with control of the House and they pull Kevin McCarthy’s puppet strings.

Yes, we need to support democracy globally from Ukraine to Brazil, but we also need to take authoritarian movements here at home as seriously as we take them abroad.

Congress must clean its own House first. Now that proverbial foxes are guarding the chicken coop, be vigilant to protect democracy in your committees, in your debates, and in seeking out any Republicans fed up with the Coup Caucus’ power in both the House and the Senate to create utter chaos.

Linda van der Wal
PORT TOWNSEND