Rodney Clough
2 min readMay 22, 2021

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If civility doesn’t work, try incivility.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, photo courtesy of Vanity Fair

Republicans replace political opposition with public harassment.

Matt Gaetz, MTG, Sen. Rob Johnson and other insurrection apologists, ‘pick-your-Fox-talking head:’ we have arrived at public harassment.

Let’s define.

public harassment: aggressive pressure or intimidation directed at groups or individuals demonstrated in a public space.

One, this ploy is not new, just a cognitive shuffle on an old idea: ‘the problem with America is we are not civil. We are not polite, not nice to one another.’

Two, it’s a blatant attempt to grab the 24 hour news feed. Think cyber-bait.

Third, SNL won’t touch these antics with a 10 foot mic. Wacky-dom is on the cutting room. floor.

Fourth, to label this behavior as “madness,” “craziness.” “lunacy,” is not only asocial but misses the mark.

Fifth, the social issues facing America are “whats,” not exclusively “whys.” So throw out the need to rationalize this behavior.

Sixth, these mental travesties decry punishment: they dwell in a space beyond remediation.

Seventh, like the tort lawyers of yore and the justice department of 45’s reign, their strategy is to wear consciousness down.

Eight, these perps are prone to yelling, aka aural abuse.

Ninth, our kids hear this stuff.

Tenth, posing as opposition — on many occasions their own position(s) — is not an exalted state. Neither is ignorance, their stock-in-trade.

May 22

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Rodney Clough

Refuses to nap. Septuagenarian. Cliche’ raker. Writes weekly.