SECOND AMENDMENT REMEDIES?

VIOLENT POLITICAL RHETORIC

Whether the shooter of Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had political motives for his violent act or not, or as is more likely has serious mental problems — or whether any potential political motives of his might be from the Left or Right — this is the time to take a good hard look at the deterioration of our political discourse, and the disasterous course we seem to be on.

We ducked this assessment following Tim McVeigh’s violent political act against our government.  Bill Clinton tried to point out that words have consequences … but he was quickly shut-up by the strength of the Right and their amazing propensity for denial, perhaps even self-denial.

Let’s not lose this opportunity to face where we are in our political life as a country.  Let’s start with asking a few questions.

Should someone ask the losing GOtP (Tea Party) Senate candidate from Nevada, Sharon Angle, whether or not this shooting is what she had in mind when she ran on the platform of, “If elections don’t solve the country’s problems, then we may have to look to Second Amendment Remedies?”   

And, Sister Sarah, why were you in such a hurry to take down your internet-posted map of your “targeted” elected officials — targeted with rifle cross-hairs over their names?  You removed your “targets map” within an hour of the shooting.  Why, Sarah, why?  If you didn’t see a possible connection between your “Lock and Load” rhetoric and the attempted assassination of an elected official, why did you rush to take down your “targets map?”

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann encouraged her fellow Minnesotans to be “Armed and Dangerous” when opposing any cap-and-trade carbon emission legislation.  Gabrielle Giffords’ GOP opponent in the November election held a fundraiser with a gun theme.  His campaign flyers read:  “Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office, shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.” 

Will the Right finally own up (at least in the privacy of their own hearts) to the fact that their “Take Up Your Arms” rhetoric is an invitation to violence?  We don’t know yet what caused this man to execute his assassination plan and open fire on the Congresswoman and her people, but we do know that the overheated political violent language is firing people up — and with the potential for very dangerous consequences.

Many worry that violence in the media, in music and in video games, make kids more violent and if that is true then how could it be possible that the blood-sport framing of government by politicians and media figures isn’t just as potentially lethal?  Violence simply cannot be the answer to America’s problems.  Whatever the motive of this assassin, the “Lock and Load” language and “Second Amendment Remedies” stances must finally come to an end.

Words have consequences.