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Susan Young is the Bangor Daily News opinion editor.
On Wednesday, state capitols across the country were evacuated, including in Augusta. It was the first day of the 2024 legislative session in many states.
Authorities said the evacuations, in several states from Montana to Georgia, were triggered by bomb threats, which were deemed to be hoaxes. There were more threats that forced evacuations at public buildings on Thursday, including at three courthouses in Maine.
Wednesday’s threat came in the form of an email that was sent to numerous states. The email was obtained by ABC News, which reported it said: “The explsoives [sic] are well hidden inside and they will go off in a few hours. I will make sure you all end up dead.”
I am, of course, relieved that the threats were hoaxes and not real attacks.
However, hoaxes and threatening, violent language like this can and do have real negative consequences. In addition to the disruption and expenses, threats like these can raise anxiety and spread fear, which is often the intent.
Beyond this, the threats are a reminder of how broken our political climate has become. It is all too common for those who disagree with the decisions of government officials or the outcome of elections to resort to threats, harassment and, sometimes, even violence.
The bomb threats came on the eve of the third anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, when an angry mob, which had been fed a stream of lies about a supposedly stolen election by then-President Donald Trump, stormed the U.S. Capitol. Many hoped to stop the counting and ratification of the results of the 2020 presidential election, which President Joe Biden had won. Some threatened to hang Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over the certification.
The violence of Jan. 6, when many police officers were brutally attacked and beaten, was an assault on our democracy. It was also a low point in what had been a long tradition of peaceful transitions of power.
Despite the convictions of and guilty pleas from hundreds of people who stormed the capitol, many people, including steadfast supporters of Trump, continue to downplay the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6. They were a demonstration that got out of hand, they say. Perhaps a riot, but one that was quickly controlled.
Many of us saw the violence unfold in real time on Jan. 6. A House Committee that reviewed the attacks added more details and chilling video, including how close some rioters came to Pence and some U.S. senators. The sense of fear and uncertainty, shared by members of the House and Senate who were in lockdown for hours, was palpable.
We cannot be lulled into thinking that Jan. 6, 2021, was normal. We can’t be lulled into thinking that threatening election workers, secretaries of state and elected officials is normal. We shouldn’t accept bomb threats — and the disruption and anxiety that they cause — as part of our democracy.
These threats of violence are empowered by elected leaders, and candidates, who spout violent rhetoric, who encourage political disagreements to be settled with fights and intimidation. They need to tone down the rhetoric so we can work collaboratively on the many difficult and contentious issues facing our state and nation. Here are a few examples:
Whatever you think about climate change, Maine is being impacted by warmer temperatures, frequent and intense storms and other changes to our environment. We have to prepare for and mitigate the consequences of these events. Better, we should work to minimize them if possible.
The scarcity of affordable housing in Maine is driving away the people needed to sustain and grow our economy. In addition, the growing number of unhoused Mainers is a human tragedy that many communities are struggling to address.
The increasing number of new arrivals at the southern U.S. border, and the large number of asylum seekers who have come to cities like Portland, is a humanitarian, security and economic crisis. Comprehensive immigration reform, that enhances border security while providing stability and predictability to immigrants who are already in the U.S., remains elusive.
Inequality remains a pervasive problem. Black workers are paid less than white workers, and are more likely to be unemployed and to live in poverty than their white counterparts. Black Americans have a shorter life expectancy and continue to face a disproportionate amount of police violence in this country.
Gun violence remains a serious threat. A gunman killed 18 people and injured 13 more in Lewiston in October, in one of the country’s worst mass shootings. Lawmakers in Augusta are expected to consider a number of bills to restrict gun access and improve mental health services.
These and other complex issues will not be solved by yelling at one another, by threatening those whose solutions are different than ours or by claiming their actions are fraudulent or in bad faith.
