Uh, alright, let me rephrase that for you, keepin' it 100 and all that jazz. Eric Greitens, a Republican candidate running for Senator in Missouri, recently dropped an ad where he's decked out in camo, a hat, and wielding a shotgun, leading a posse on a "Rino Hunt." The term "Rino" stands for "Republican In Name Only," a sneaky dig at those GOPers who are perceived as not radical enough or not fully backing Trump.
Now, this would already be kinda eyebrow-raising, but considering the history of armed paramilitary groups using their power to intimidate and attack political opponents, it ain't exactly a good look. Greitens tried to dismiss the criticism as folks just being salty 'bout the video—his words, not mine—claiming it was all in good fun and a metaphor for "Rino hunting."
Sounds fun, right? Well, not so much when you consider that history shows right-wing extremist groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys using violence to intimidate opponents, as seen during the January 6th Capitol riots. Some Rino-hunting in Missouri, turns into beating up Dems across the nation.
Greitens isn't exactly a political outsider, and his ad ain't a lonely instance of this behavior. Self-proclaimed right-wing groups have taken aim at perceived political enemies, using intimidation and violence to promote their agenda—especially on January 6th, when a bunch of armed Oath Keepers and Proud Boys decided to storm the Capitol.
In Idaho, a parade of white supremacists and other radicals marched through crowds, armed for Pride, complete with arrests by the police. They weren't exactly supporting the LGBTQ+ community with their overtly racist and homophobic behavior, to put it mildly.
Meanwhile, the right-wing of the Republican Party is going all-in on anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, with Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia promising to introduce legislature to prevent kids from attending Drag Queen shows.
Out in Florida, the pro-Trump Governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a law that people are labeling the "Don't Say Gay" bill, effectively forcing teachers to stay mum about sexuality and gender issues with their students.
The Texas Republican Party recently announced a new platform, in which they claim Biden stole the 2020 election and argue that gun control laws violate the 2nd Amendment, going as far as demanding the repeal of the Voting Rights Act and promoting the idea that homosexuality is a "perverse lifestyle choice."
Quite the ecosystem we got there, with elected Republican officials pushing extreme legislation and radical groups promoting their agenda through violence and intimidation.
Now, curious how our boys in blue are handling all these allegations of violence against women, huh? Turns out they've got their heads pretty far up their behinds, failing to act on complaints against their own party members.
Eric Greitens, the former Navy SEAL turned Missouri Governor, was accused of physically harming his ex-wife and their son. He denies the allegations, but when he was Governor, he certainly had his fair share of scandals, from having affairs to violence.
Now, Trump brags about grabbing 'em by the pussy, a clear sexual assault–mind-blowing, right?–but the Republicans still got his back.
Alabama almost elected Roy Moore, who stood trial for child molestation, only to face criticism for the allegations, not from his party. And when a candidate in Nebraska was accused of sexual misconduct, his party didn't give two hoots, either.
And then there's Herschel Walker, the Georgia Republican Senate candidate, who's been cited by multiple women as having assaulted them, dropped guns on them, and threatened their lives. Walker's response? "I take full responsibility for everything I do."
Once again, we see an alarming trend: as long as you’re Republican, the allegations of violence against women don't seem to hold you back from holding political office.
Now, since the shootings are in the news, folks are taking note of the increasing acceptance of misogynistic violence and gun obsession within the Republican Party. And with experts linking femicide to misogyny, yeah, it's looking pretty bleak.
It's kind of eye-roll-worthy that Republican leaders are looking the other way, ignoring allegations of violence against their party members.
In conclusion, the Republican party's extreme right-wing attitude towards violence is represented by the cacophony of self-proclaimed officials cheering on violent extremist groups and electing representatives with histories of allegations, while turning a blind eye to the serious implications of that behavior.
One might say that this environment of impunity for violence, violence against women in particular, is a concerning trend that needs to be addressed. #JustSayin'.
