A few days back, news outlets such as Newsmax, The Post Millennial, and MXM  reported some disturbing news about voter intimidation.

Some Philadelphians said they received letters sent through the U.S. Postal Service using a facsimile of Trump campaign letterhead.  The recipients were those who displayed Trump signs on their front lawns.

The printed letters begin cordially with the salutation “Dear Neighbor” and thanking the recipient for “for being engaged in the election” and for “participation in the process.”

The sender claimed to be “writing with a concern about the level of political violence in the country during this election year as well as the threats to our democracy and freedoms.”

The letter then cited reasons not to vote for President Donald Trump.  These are the standard talking points that you will find in the mainstream media, particularly outlets such as the NYT, MSNBC, and CNN.  None of the vile claims or pejorative epithets is worth repeating.  And yes, Taylor Swift received a mention.

The sender then warned the recipient that “visible support [of Trump] comes with a price and at a cost.  There will be consequences.

“Should your candidate win,” the sender threatened, “the consequences will be staggering.  The country will continue to be divided, the economy will falter and a recession will be accelerated, the deficit ballooned.  The majority will live under the rule of a minority.  Government will be in my business, the business of my family, the deficit will grow.  The rich will get richer and judging by your house you don’t qualify for rich, as much as you think you may.”

“[W]e know where you live, you are in the data base.  In the dead of a cold winters night, this year, or next and beyond, there is no knowing what will happen. Your property, your family may be impacted, your cat may get shot. And more.”

The letter concludes with a blatant and direct threat: “your vote for this guy is seen as treading on my rights.  You tread on me at your peril, m----------. We look forward to visiting in the future.”

The Post Millennial report by Libby Emmons and Jack Posobiec reveals that a woman named Janet, from Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, filed a police complaint with the Lower Merion Police following the receipt of the letter.  For obvious reasons, Janet preferred to conceal her last name.

However, Janet was informed that the matter could not be pursued without video, presumably of an individual posting the letter.  Janet said police told her they had been contacted by another homeowner who had received similar letters.

So what do we make of this?

The letter violates federal law, which states that “no person ... shall intimidate, threaten, coerce ... any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] person to vote he may  choose.”

There is an irony in the letter that the sender is probably too consumed by hatred or too vacuous to comprehend.

The sender begins by claiming to be concerned about the rule of law, civil discourse, peace, and harmony.  However, the subsequent paragraphs proceed to violate all of these by threatening the recipient and his pets with violence while using expletives.

The sender claims to worry about the rights of citizens but is engaging in threats on the most fundamental rights of a citizen, the right to free expression and the right to vote.

The identity of the sender remains unknown so far.  But we can speculate.

It may be an enraged Democrat who is pained to see Kamala struggling in the polls and decided to help out.  It may be an attention-seeking prankster.

But the authenticity of the threat wouldn’t have mattered to the mainstream media if the victims of violent threats were Kamala-supporters or anyone who qualifies as a minority.

In such a situation, the national media would have landed in Pennsylvania and interviewed not only the recipients, but also their friends, colleagues, restaurateurs, shopkeepers, etc.  They would have claimed that the entire town was living in fear.  They would have blamed President Trump and carried this news until Election Day.  The Democrats would have amplified the chaos.

The media barrage would have compelled the police to react summarily.  They would have released statements, had pressers, and placed this on their highest priority. 

Hopefully, the right-leaning media and even the Trump campaign will focus on this blatant act of intimidation.

So how do those who receive the threats react?

One cannot blame them for being fearful and even paranoid.  There will be concerns that they have probably been marked for reprisal by unknown sinister forces.

They know of Trump-supporters being subjected to violence.  They know of Trump-supporters such as the January 6 protesters being targeted by the government.  They heard Joe Biden attack Trump-supporters and brand them as extremists.  They know they will receive little support from anyone.  This fear will be heightened due to the apathy of law enforcement.

Some may consider removing the Trump signs to avoid needless hassles.  They may satisfy themselves that a vote for Trump is sufficient, that there is no need for any overt demonstration.

But capitulation will not resolve the situation.  It will only embolden the persecutor, who escalates the harassment. 

The question remains: how far does one go to appease one’s tormentors?  If one takes the placation route, there will come a day when the tormentor becomes the ruler.  There will come a day when dissent will be criminalized, while dissenters will have to live like second-class citizens in a totalitarian state.  Sadly, many Trump-supporters in blue states are living like this.

The only way to deal with tyrants is to fight back in defiance the moment they even attempt to oppress.  This sends a clear message to other aspiring tyrants.  This is easier to preach but difficult to practice.

The threatening letter is an ominous prelude to the occurrences upon a Trump victory in November.

Image: Ben Schumin via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.