Copyright Baton Rouge Advocate
I was dismayed the newspaper published Wade Perrin’s letter on Oct. 2, titled “Democrats can't distance themselves from consequences of hateful rhetoric.” Publishing a letter characterizing an entire political party as “evil and godless” is profoundly irresponsible. The handful of people who celebrate such violence are indeed evil, but they do not represent the entire Democratic Party. This extreme, hateful rhetoric comes from fringe elements, not the parties. I know most Republicans reject the notion that all Democrats are evil. Crucially, the people of Louisiana know better than to follow the hateful cues of distant talking heads. In our communities, standing side-by-side on the parade route at Mardi Gras, tailgating before a Saints game outside the Superdome, or pitching in to help a neighbor after a hurricane, we treat each other with respect. I have more faith in the inherent decency of our neighbors across Jefferson Parish and New Orleans to prioritize human connection over political animosity. As a lifelong Democrat who publicly condemned this violence, I want to emphasize that while I vehemently disagreed with Charlie Kirk’s politics, disagreement is not a death sentence, and violence has absolutely no place in our democracy. Words and arguments are the battlefield of democracy, not bullets and bloodshed. For the sake of our state and shared civic health, the newspaper and all of us, have a moral obligation to promote civility and decency, not division and hatred. Let us commit to a politics that persuades, not destroys. BARRY S. RANSHI Democratic State Central Committee representative, District 79B
