Trumpism – the new McCarthyism

There’s a new “McCarthyism” casting a shadow over the face of this country.  It’s called “Trumpism.”   And, just like McCarthyism, it will bring pain, anger, disbelief and fear to millions of Americans.  Some 70 million to be exact.

I was a young teenager in the 50’s when McCarthyism ran rampant and unrestrained.  While I was not directly affected by it, I was aware of it.  Friends of my parents, particularly those trying to unionize the Metal Craft company in Tumwater where my folks worked, were tarred with the brush of “Communist.”

When they talked about their unionizing efforts, it was always with hushed tones and quick glances around the room to see who was present  Often it was me.  As a child I was not always knowledgeable of the full scope of McCarthyism, but I did watch television news and I knew that communists were not people I wanted to associate with.

It wasn’t until a decade later that I realized the full extent of McCarthyism and how it managed to evolve and spread because no one in power spoke up in favor of “Free Speech.”  Their silence condemned people to huddle in their own minds and keep their feelings to themselves.

McCarthyism was one of the most significant assault on the First Amendment particularly the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Now, however, comes “Trumpism.”  The idea that those who supported President Donald Trump are enemies of the “new” state and need to be identified and placed in the newly created world of shame populated by shameful people.

They need to be deprived of their right to speak and their right to influence others.  They need to feel shame and to publicly confess their sins and cleanse themselves of “wrong” thoughts.

McCarthyism sprang from an alcoholic, egotistical senator, whose rhetoric kept the political leadership from speaking out against it until many Americans were harmed.

What’s different this time is that “Trumpism” is being led by our political leaders and their young followers, who have no sense of history and apparently no understanding of what happens when speak and thought are controlled by those in power.

Decades from now, when the memories of Donald Trump fade, historians will look back at this time and wonder how we let it start and how we let it go on so long.