First of all, I’m thankful that everyone survived. Thoughts go out to Scalise and the others injured for a full recovery.
That said, I think it’s interesting that on one hand you have calls for unity, but there are plenty of people, even those in Congress, itching to exploit this.
I agree that the environment has gotten too toxic but there is an important balance that needs to be struck between “toning down rhetoric” and protecting free speech.
Of course, saying Trump wants children to die because of his health care ideas is as bad and unproductive as continuing the bull**** about Obama being foreign-born or being out to get our guns.
The problem is, I’m seeing almost no mention of the other side and the vicious things said by the right over the years from Republicans. The likes of Rush Limbaugh want to rope in the actions of this clearly deranged man with legitimate political dissent on the left. He took the exact opposite position when there were calls from the left to tone down the rhetoric after Gabby Giffords was shot. I thought it was unfair to try to put the blame at Sarah Palin’s feet for that, but the New York Times repeated that assertion in an editorial this morning. Alex Jones has also apparently flip-flopped on the matter. They are engaging in the same type of opportunism they accused the left of six years ago.
Similarly, Republicans have been quick to (rightly) point out the absurdity of Kathy Griffin and the severed Trump head, but haven’t exactly jumped at the opportunity to remind themselves of some of the stuff Trump has said at his rallies.
Montana elected a congressman who body-slammed a reporter.
So, while I think our toxic political environment played a huge role in the situation, there seems to be an underlying attempt to stifle criticism of the Trump administration.
It also ignores the other factors at play here.
Gun control. It is too easy for people to access weapons manufactured to harm human beings. Political special interests have gotten in the way about passing even modest regulations. But there are also instances where the strictest of gun laws have not prevented acts of violence. It’s not a black and white issue as much as people on both sides of the debate want it to be.
You have the issue of mental health out there. You have the downsides of the internet and the increasing isolation of people.
Overall, there is a violence problem in America. But when will Congress actually get serious about addressing it in way where they actually work together in the best interests of the country, not their political talking points?
I’m sorry but I’m skeptical that anything will change anytime soon.
