Rep. Jason Smith at Forty

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

This past Sunday I used this space to wish former television reality host Donald Trump a happy birthday, and today I would like to mark the anniversary of the birth of another right-wing politico.  My well-fed, bachelor congressman, Jason Smith, a Republican representing rural south-central and southeast Missouri, turns forty today.  

Rep. Smith, a bit-player on the national scene who dreams of bigger things, made a national embarrassment of himself in January of 2019 when he yelled “Go back to Puerto Rico!” at Democratic Representative Tony Cardenas of California as Cardenas was speaking from the podium in the House of Representatives.  Smith then ducked out of view among other Republicans – but later owned up to his adolescent behavior.

My congressman is also one of an estimated hundred or so Members of Congress who sleep in their offices when Congress is in session.  Federal regulations prohibit all federal employees – except apparently congressmen – from quartering in their offices.  The practice is an obvious health issue – particularly during the coronavirus pandemic – and it also represents a gross misuse of taxpayer funds.  And, to frost that cake, this extremely lucrative job perk is completely untaxed.  Smith's canned excuse for this excessive sponging off of the government is that he is trying not to become too comfortable in Washington, DC.  And, of course, he is saving a pile of money to boot!

But, it’s Jason’s birthday, so let’s  allow his free government housing to slide – at least for today.

Being a generally reliable party man and a Trump parrot, Jason Smith consistently coughs up official Republican talking points in his weekly email newsletter that is sent out every Saturday.   The newsletter presents the GOP twaddle de jour and provides a stroke or two to Trump’s ego if he has had a calm week – but on weeks when Trump has been overly combative or irrational, Smith’s newsletter will often not even mention his name.

In addition to one lead story, Congressman Smith’s weekly newsletter also usually includes photos of the rural politician with constituents – or cows and farm machinery -  as well as stories of local interest.

The current edition of Congressman Smith's newsletter gives a preview of the GOP election strategy for this fall.  It looks as though the push will be to show that Democrats make the country weak.   The main article in the newsletter was entitled “Defunding Our Safety” and the lead, which appeared in bold print on the front page, had this to say:

"For nearly a week, radical individuals who prioritized looting and chaos in this country over any type of actual change diminished the voices of those protesting the tragic death of George Floyd. Worse, the Left refuses to call out the violence and destruction. Perhaps it’s because they are focused on using the unrest to push their liberal agenda regardless of the facts. They are blaming all law enforcement officers across the country for what’s happening and calling for all police departments to be defunded. Their new “defund the police” slogan is just as absurd as their calls to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) two years ago. Once again, the Left demonstrates a severe lack of understanding for what American cities would look like without police officers. "

Did you catch all of those dog whistles?  "Radical," "looting," "chaos," "violence," "destruction," "unrest" - and absolutely no mention of race or racial injustice - other than to label George Floyd's death as "tragic."     The fact that Mr. Floyd was killed by a police officer is not even mentioned!

Congressman Smith - and the GOP - would have America believe that all of the hullabaloo in the streets was just an excuse to rob and riot and vandalize - and had no basis in a national injustice that has been occurring full-throttle in this country for more than a century.   Smith wants to describe the violence in terms of effect, and not cause.   He wants his constituents to focus on rioters and looters and scary black people.    Out-of-control police officers are irrelevant in his calculus.

Congressman Smith wants his voters to fear a future in which police departments and immigration agencies are brought under public control and forced to be accountable for their actions.  His mantra - and that of his party - will be that curbing the excesses of public servants will somehow weaken society and bring about anarchy.

It's a boogeyman campaign strategy.   Republicans are in no position to run on their abysmal records, so instead they resort to sowing fear among the voters - fear of "radicals" and "looters" (code words for blacks), and of "drug-runners" and "rapists" (code words for immigrants). It's dirty politics practiced by seasoned politicians.

George Floyd mattered, Jason.   He had family and friends who loved him and who grieve bitterly for the needless loss of his life.  But politicians who openly condemn Colin Kaerpernick  and other athletes for taking a knee in support of Black Lives Matter, were eerily silent when a Minneapolis officer killed George Floyd by “taking a knee” on his throat for nearly ten minutes.   

Breonna Taylor mattered, and so did Rayshard Brooks, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, and the other thousands – yes thousands – of people of color who have died unjustly at the hands of police and vigilantes over the forty years that you have lived comfortably on this planet.   

And those we have neglected mattered, too – like the children who died in cages along our southern border because uncaring US border officials would not get them the medical care they needed.  Each of those brown “illegals” had parents who loved them – just as your parent’s loved you and mine loved me.   All any of those “illegal” human-beings wanted was just a chance, a slim chance, at a life like the one that many white Americans are able to take for granted.

Happy birthday, Jason.   May you enjoy many, many more - and may you use those years to experience and appreciate America’s rich diversity while working to become a more tolerant and inclusive human-being.  The world could teach you quite a lot if you would just open your heart and mind and let that learning happen!