Cornelia Schneider: Why does Vance promote lies about Haitians in Springfield?

To The Daily Sun,

Let’s be clear. Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are not “eating the cats and dogs of the people who live there” (quote from Donald Trump during the debate with Kamala Harris). J.D. Vance and Donald Trump promoted those baseless lies and now the town of Springfield suffers from terroristic threats. Elementary and high schools were forced to shut down for two days because of bomb threats. Various government buildings were also forced to close their doors.

When asked why he promoted the lies about Springfield Haitians, J.D. Vance answered, “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.” Translation: I’ll tell any lie in order to gain power. That’s what J.D. Vance is all about. Power. He’ll do anything to get power, including lie about innocent, legal immigrants, in order to spread distrust, hate and public discord.

Now Vance is spreading another lie. He’s telling followers that Haitians are spreading HIV and tuberculosis. In fact, new diagnoses of HIV has dropped from 2018 to 2022 (the period the Haitians arrived) and the Ohio Department of Health says there has been no change in TB rates since their arrival.

Why tell lies like these? It’s an old strategy. Student of history might remember similar lies being spread by Adolf Hitler and his cronies in 1930s Germany. As the old saying goes: History does not repeat, but it rhymes.

Cornelia Schneider

Moultonborough