This is what hype can do. Springfield Ohio has received multiple bomb threats on the basis of nothing. This appears to be based on statements by Vance and Trump that “undocumented immigrants are eating pets”.
It’s totally false. City authorities and citizens say it’s false and absurd. Now schools, City Hall, and other public buildings are having to shut down. A right wing group took “credit” on Telegram for the threats.
That’s all fine and dandy but there isn’t, and never was, a problem. A few casual mentions of the place and Springfield is under siege. To achieve what?
Even by the bottomless standards of US political imbecility, this is over the top and a half. A group of “undocumented”, perhaps also non-existent, people are being accused of something that isn’t happening?
For those who haven’t done kindergarten-level marketing, this is basic. Point at someone or something, make a statement, and that’s all you need to do. You then say you were told by someone about whatever the issue may be. The rest is managed by third-party pot stirrers.
You don’t have to prove it. The subject doesn’t exist, but that’s not your fault. The person who told you misled you at most. The other added benefit for these lunatic statements is that they’re fast-turnover new items, usually buried under more dreck from the political sewer.
On social media, it’s a hoot. Pro and anti-pet eaters are coming out of the woodwork on X. On Facebook, it’s a joke spawning hundreds of memes. Nobody believes a word. That’s what can go wrong with these ultra-lame statements. At some point, disbelief stops being suspended.
Meanwhile, Springfield obviously isn’t having a good time thanks to the publicity. Yes, there are Haitian immigrants in the city, about 15,000 of them in the last 4 years. The fact that there’s a number means they are at least in some way documented.
The insane allegations aren’t exactly helping the city manage things. Springfield has a population of 69,000 people. Obviously, 15,000 new people will have some impact.
The Governor of Ohio made a statement just before the debate that $2.5 million and state troopers were being sent to Springfield – To help with traffic issues. Not pet-eating monsters. The Governor didn’t have a bad word to say about the immigrants, saying they were generally hard-working people who’d come to escape the long-running and hellish situation in Haiti.
He didn’t say anything about anyone eating pets, either. There’s only one issue here – When does this utter idiocy stop?
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
