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In 1944 the film Gaslight came out. In it Charles Boyer chides Ingrid Bergman with lies to drive her mad. The term "gaslighting" has recently become popular and it is very appropriate for what is happening in our country right now. Just like in the movie, we are being told that what we have seen with our own eyes and know in our minds isn't true.
On January 6, 2021 we watched in real time as a mob stormed the Capitol Building in Washington, DC while Congress was counting the electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election which would make Joe Biden the 46th President. Subsequently we have seen other videos that were taken of this event, some by those who participated in it. But, wait! Some Congressmen are telling us that this was a peaceful display, just a protest of the results of the election. If we weren't told differently, we would think these were just tourists calmly walking through the Capitol. Some were even ushered in by the Capitol Police. And there was love, such love like you've never seen, according to Donald Trump.
However, the film tells a different story. Police officers were attacked and severely injured. Officer Brian Sicknick died as a result of this attack. Others are still suffering from PTSD and physical injuries that the crowd inflicted on them. A makeshift gallows complete with a noose was erected and the crowd yelled, "Hang Mike Pence!" Members of Congress and Trump's Vice President were escorted out of the building to secure locations. The desecration of the hallowed halls was exacerbated when participants smashed windows and even defecated in the building. This was not a peaceful group of tourists. It was a violent horde that was out of control.
The J6 riot was a result of "The Big Lie", that Donald Trump, not Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Over 50 court cases have been brought by Trump's people and none of them were decided in his favor. Extensive investigation of "election fraud" has proven that there was none. In a joint statement, members of the Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council, CISA Assistant Director, the National Secretaries of State, and others called the 2020 election the "most secure in American history."
Trump renewed the gaslighting tactic during the June 27th debate when he blamed Biden for the mistakes made when withdrawing from Afghanistan. But Trump negotiated the terms of the withdrawal while he was still president. It was left to President Biden to work with Trump's mess. Here are the facts: Trump negotiated directly with the Taliban terrorists and excluded the Afghan army; drew down US forces from 13,000 to 2,500 leaving them vulnerable; ordered the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters from prison, one of whom would become the new leader of Afghanistan; agreed to a May 1 exit and said he didn't need an exit strategy; refused to brief Biden's incoming team on the situation; and shut down every airbase in Afghanistan except one, crippling the US's ability to safely extract our assets.
Border security is probably the favorite issue of Trump and his minions. In February a bipartisan group of senators unveiled a bill to deal with the crisis at the border. Among other things this would have increased personnel, expanded detention facilities for those entering illegally and increased funding to screen for drugs. But Donald Trump called his contacts in the Senate and told them to kill this bill because he wanted to use the crisis at the border as an election issue. If a solution, even a partial one, were done under the Biden administration, it would look bad for Trump.
Another point that Republicans love to tout is that crime is running rampant through our streets. However, violent crime dropped 15.2% nationwide in the first three months of 2024.
Also, Trump's a genius because his uncle was a professor at MIT, he weighs 215 pounds, he's a great businessman although he couldn't make a profit with a casino and he's not old even though he's only three years younger than Biden. Oh, and don't forget, while running against Hilary Clinton, Trump never said, "Lock her up!"
Sorry. We have the tape.
Verna Caruso, a Muncy native, is a former staff member at Inc. magazine and past chair of the Lycoming County Democratic Committee.