Our Democracy Means Shut Up

California Senator Scott Wiener, explaining the death of his SB 866 in the state legislature:

“There were some who were just philosophically opposed to it and others who were concerned about the politics and some who had a heartfelt opposition to the bill,” he said. “But there was also really intense, badgering harassment of the legislators.”

If citizens contact their representatives in the legislature to oppose a piece of legislation, they’re badgering. It’s harassment.

You’re hurting his feelings

Read the story this quote is taken from: This framing runs through the whole thing. People who have doubts about the mRNA injections have been “brainwashed.” The failure of the bill means that “Everything is getting so politicized.” A UCLA professor “said the arguments against the bill were especially strident.” The story even returns to re-quoting Wiener about harassment in later paragraphs:

Wiener said this session didn’t see that same level of aggressive or violent opposition in the Capitol but that the “pervasive atmosphere of harassment,” especially online, complicated the discussion. 

“It created a very toxic political moment around a very reasonable bill,” he said.

There is no legitimate disagreement. If you disagree with Scott Wiener, you’re already wrong and bad. If you say you disagree with Scott Wiener…

(Hold on a minute, I’m literally shaking.)

…that’s toxic brainwashed harassment. The only way to be a good person is to agree, submit, and remain passive.

Or to put that a little differently, if Scott Wiener isn’t angry at you, you’re doing something wrong.