To the Editor:

A campaign of emotional exaggerations about the “horrors” of freeing slaves led to the tragedy of President Lincoln’s assassination. John Wilkes Booth’s biography reveals how his hatred of abolitionists eventually turned to extremism, despite his own family’s principled belief that slavery should end. Booth irrationally placed all the blame on Lincoln for banning slavery and upsetting the comfortable status quo in the South.

History should have taught us that individuals in the throes of hateful resentment will unreasonably blame others for anything they fear, dislike or don’t understand. But nonetheless, Rep. Stefanik and Lee Zeldin shamelessly use that same kind of exaggerated projection when they accuse “liberals” of ruining our country.

Keeping voters in a factual vacuum enables the GOP to successfully manipulate incensed voters. Just as slave-owning Southerners, trying to save their wealth superiority, used exaggerated misinformation to convince the underclass to fight a war and die. Just as Trump’s falsehoods convinced insurrectionists to hang VP Pence if he certified Biden’s election.

Democrats allow “open borders”? No they don’t. According to APNews, 25,000 Venezuelans have since been turned away at the border following President Biden’s directive to cap the number of asylum seekers at 24,000. Democrats cause “runaway spending”? No they don’t. According to US Treasury statistics, the federal deficit increased from $600B to $3.2T under Trump and has now been reduced to $945B under President Biden.

If you’re seething about those “terrible” Democrats, it’s because you’re receiving selective details that make you feel that way. Don’t waste your intellect on being mad. Get informed before the elections, even though the GOP would prefer that you remain uninformed and angry.

Martha Hodges
Massena