EDITOR:

When did we become so mean? When did we lose the idea of being our neighbors’ keepers? When did we teach our children it is OK to be rude and disrespectful to anyone who doesn’t look or think as we do? Are we losing our humanity?

I ask this after working a shift this past weekend at the fair. While sitting in the Democratic Party booth at the Dickinson County Fair, I witnessed some rather poor behavior, as did my colleagues over a five-day period. I wonder if our neighbors across the aisle at the Republican Party booth felt the same way? Over the course of a few days, the workers at the Democratic booth were subjected to name calling, i.e., baby killers, socialist, communists and constitution haters. One man said he would like to put a bullet in Biden’s head. He was followed by a man who used his arm and finger to imitate a machine gun and pretended to spray the workers and the booth with machine-gun fire as he passed. A group of young men took Trump stickers from the Republican booth and threw them on our display table. Many young men wearing Trump flags as capes, paraded past the booth, yelling profanities and strutting like a barnyard rooster. Grown men yelling at the workers and ignoring the sign reading; “BE NICE OR BE GONE.” On more than one occasion, the workers had to threaten to call law enforcement on aggressive men who would not leave.

These intimidation tactics had to be learned or observed as being acceptable behavior.

At the Marinette County Fair, it was similar to what we experienced here but worse when a man spit on a woman working at the booth.

At the U.P. State Fair in Escanaba, the entire Democratic Party booth was ransacked in only a few seconds by a group of adult men with Confederate hats and shirts who stormed the booth while a few women were working.

So, I ask again — are we losing our humanity? If so, why? Who are these people and who or what is feeding their hate? Remember your children are watching everything you say and do.

Lynne Wilson

Iron Mountain