Scotty’s faulty approach
Scotty Anderson’s column contradicts his inflated self-assessment. He cherry-picks evidence (some of which says nothing about Democrats!), and concludes they have a problem with murder. Nonsense. He mentions, vaguely, what people say on radio and TV programs and post online. Neither body of evidence is representative of any broader population. He equates Democratic support for abortion rights with murder. Most Americans disagree.
Let’s apply Scotty’s faulty approach to the GOP:
1. Donald Trump is a compulsive liar. The GOP nominated and elected him. Therefore, Republicans have a problem with lying.
2. On Jan. 6, 2021, violent thugs mobilized by Trump and his allies invaded the Capitol and tried to stop certification of the Electoral Votes and award the presidency to Trump. All credible evidence shows that Trump lost. They also assaulted many police officers. Therefore, Republicans have problems with the rule of law and with using political violence.
3. Republicans have repeatedly tried to repeal Obamacare and replace it with nothing. Result: Millions of Americans would lose access to health care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Republicans discouraged use of vaccines and other steps to contain the pandemic. Result: Thousands of people died when more sensible leadership would have saved many lives. COVID-19 death rates were higher among Republicans and Republican-controlled states. After almost every mass shooting in America, Republican politicians jump before microphones to oppose doing anything about guns. Therefore, Republicans have a problem with death.
These arguments don’t prove these conclusions. Neither does Scotty’s “evidence” prove his conclusions.
David Nice
Pullman
