As the news came in about the shootings of Gabrielle Giffords and Judge John Roll, I was sadly reminded that her office was one of those targeted by the so-called window war following her vote in favor of the health-care bill. I’m not saying that any group or political stripe bears the sole blame, but we all need to step back and take a look at the rhetoric we’re tolerating from elected officials, the media, and from some in our own ranks.
In the months following the 2008 election, I lost count of how many times I heard some seemingly normal person blurt something like, “I wouldn’t pull the trigger, but I wouldn’t cry over ______’s grave, either.” There was talk from armchair revolutionaries about it being “time to vote from the rooftops.”
There was more of it after the health-care vote. In the 2010 mid-terms, we were treated to Sharron Angle’s drivel about “2nd Amendment remedies,” and Sarah Palin’s PAC ran an advertisement (now removed) portraying literal targets on the names of Democrats they hoped to unseat.
Words often have unpredictable effects. Tact and diplomacy have been thrown to the wind the last few years, and the whole landscape has gone from uncivil to bewildering and disturbing. I’m well aware that nobody put the gun in this guy’s hand and forced him to do this, but at some point, the atmosphere has an effect on the suggestible and unbalanced.
Politicians and commentators on both sides of the aisle will no doubt use today’s tragedy to claim that it justifies their respective agendas. If it must be used for anything, it should be as a call to reason and civility.
(It should also be mentioned that Giffords was a supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and that she signed on to the congressional brief in support of the Heller case.)
One thought on “Rhetoric Has Consequences”
Your last statements rings true, however, I’m leary of linking rhetoric and the actions of that day.
I really don’t think that the rhetoric in political interactions is any more or less poisonous that any time before in our nations history (hell, at one point, our Vice President shot and KILLED our Secretary of the Treasury and we’ve survived a Civil War). The egos in our leaders have always been there…what really concerns me know is that our igorance of the true issues at hand.
Politicians should be held to a higher standard of conduct – if not, let the election process weed them out.
Loughner acted alone and un-influenced by modern day rhetoric. Loughner is a deranged and evil human being, and I’m sad (but not surprised) that nothing or no one was able to stop him, given the MANY MANY warning signs he exhibited leading up to this incident. He truly is a sick human being.
I’m deeply sad for losing such a great leader like John Roll (who swore my wife into the Arizona Bar and mentored her through her first year of legal practice). He had already contributed so much, and was still planning and contributing with growing momentum and positive impact. We really lost a valuable leader.
I’m very sad about Rep. Giffords and her husband. No one deserves what she received that day and the challenges that faces her and her family will be painful and touch.
I’m sad for the little girl that died and her family. Losing a child to such an evil event like that would be more than most could bear. Our children are our future, and losing our children is of the upmost tragic events that could occur.
I’m sad for the other folks that died and are suffering in the hospital. Having been in combat hospitals with the shocked and wounded, I can tell you it is hard to witness the misery and pain.
I’m sad that the nation’s media (throughout the political spectrum) are using this event as a political football. There are so many issues to analyze in managing ourselves and spreading information, yet we are still drawn to gain ratings based on course and emotional arguments from isolated incidents and ignore larger looming issues that aren’t as “shocking” or “sexy”.
I humbly suggest the following:
1) remember and ponder the lives of those who were lost that day and focus on supporting their families in their struggle to return to normalcy.
2) Erasing Loughner from our minds. At MOST, garner lessons learned from the events leading up to the crime with respect to how he could have been stopped-we have professional agencies to aid us in this (ATF mission statement is pure in its intent, anyway).
3) remind ourselves that human life is delicate (and if Gabby’s case, incredibly tough) and sometimes, bad things (and people) happen to good people.
4) Drive on, work hard, and be proud.
v/r,
Dan