NC man’s arrest after alleged FEMA threat a reminder lies can destroy democracy | Opinion

This past weekend isn’t the first time a North Carolina man who had apparently been convinced an extreme conspiracy theory was true allegedly picked up a gun to take matters into his own hands. It’s unlikely to be the last time if former President Donald Trump, conspiracy-theorist-in-chief, wins the White House next month — or even if he doesn’t. That’s the uncomfortable truth we don’t grapple with enough.

A 44-year-old man named William Jacob Parsons was arrested Saturday and accused of threatening FEMA workers who are helping western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene’s wrath. Police said he was armed with a handgun and an assault rifle, the kind of gun that has been a favorite of mass shooters and the young man who tried to assassinate Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Parsons likely believed the lies Trump and too many of his supporters have been telling since Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina. They lied about the federal response, lied about the government blocking help from civilians, lied that people in the affected area would receive only $750. They lied to struggling residents that federal officials are coming into the area to seize property and “bulldoze bodies under the rubble” rather than assist local and state officials and volunteers.

The lies have led to residents refusing help they desperately need, slowed recovery efforts as well as antisemitic and other threats against federal employees.

Though Parsons was the man with a gun — fears of an armed militia descending on Rutherford County convinced FEMA to temporarily remove personnel — he’s indicative of something larger, more sinister and disturbing. Shortly after the 2016 election between Hillary Clinton and Trump, then-28-year-old Edgar Maddison Welch drove from Salisbury to Washington, D.C . to rescue imaginary children from an imaginary child sex ring rumored to be run by Clinton and other Democrats. The children were supposed to be in the basement of Comet Ping Pong pizzeria. The restaurant has no basement. There were no children. Welch didn’t figure that out until after shooting inside Comet.

The lies have something uncomfortably in common with the FEMA lies. The “Pizzagate” conspiracy was a fantastical demonization of Trump’s political opponents. The FEMA lies are designed to make it more difficult for Vice President Kamala Harris to defeat Trump in three weeks. Maybe the worst lies are those that have convinced millions of Trump supporters that the 2020 election was stolen. Those lies led to a violent insurrection attempt on our Capitolthat left multiple people dead, caused millions in damage and gave a black eye to our democracy that remains.

It’s disturbing Trump and his supporters are not only quick to believe the lies and conspiracy theories, but to spread them. It’s more disturbing that seemingly nothing can convince them to change course.

Trump chose a man as his partner, Sen. J.D. Vance, who refuses to admit the former president lost four years ago or commit to certifying an election if he becomes vice president. Imagine if Harris did the same, decided to not certify next month’s election if Trump wins. Imagine the chaos. Imagine the ugliness that would result. As bad as things got on Jan. 6, 2021, they would likely be worse if Harris is as irresponsible as Vance has said he’ll be.

That’s why the lies being told aren’t only bad for western North Carolina, though slowing down recovery efforts when so many people need help is ghastly.

A man named Parsons apparently following in the footsteps of a man named Welch because each bought into lies is sobering. Because the lies are also affecting the underpinnings of our democracy that should scare every American, no matter who you want to win in November.