Living in Arizona for the winter, only 100+ miles from Tucson, brings home to me the devastation of the senseless murders and wounding done by one sick individual. His time will come to be dealt with fairly and justly. The time for something else may have already come. The noise from this tragedy has included the "blame game," both from the left and the right. Some would lay this man's rampage on the steps of the political scene over the past few years, which has been undeniably vitriolic. Yet to keep up this blaming is really fruitless, and actually may be non-productive. Instead of working to tamp down the rhetoric, the sides instead ramp it up by saying it was not their fault.
Let's take the Tucson Tragedy out of the mix and just admit that the political atmosphere has been poisonous of late, and not state as fact who may have been poisoned, so to speak. If this massacre is the catalyst for productive discourse in the political arena, then let it be one where we can move positively toward increased civility.
No one expects the left and the right to now come together holding hands around the campfire. There are deep policy differences and there still should be rigorous and occasionaly loud debate on the issues. Let's urge our politicos to just tone down the personal attacks and rank sarcasm that has become de rigueur over the past few campaigns.
Unless you really believe your colleague is a traitor to the USA, thus possibly deserving the death penalty, then don't toss out those bombs hoping to get something positive from the attacks. Unless you truly believe your colleague does not love America or does not want to do what is best for Americans, then tone it down a bit and make your best case for your side using cold, hard facts.
Eschew the hyperbole, the sar
castic vitriol, and baseless personal attacks. Most intelligent Americans see through that babble anyway, so it does little to promote the cause.
castic vitriol, and baseless personal attacks. Most intelligent Americans see through that babble anyway, so it does little to promote the cause.I finally have some hope that maybe the vituperative remarks may lessen, perhaps helped by the shocking attack in Tucson. Whatever the impetus, let's contact our Senators and Representatives and tell them to work hard for us in a civil way. And when they do that, as evidenced in the news or press releases, let's write them to just say, "Good work!" They like to get the good comments too. Maybe there is still hope for America.
3 comments:
Jerry is my dearest friend but he has missed the mark with a few of the statements in his latest post. I question whether the American public whose political beliefs are on the extreme right or left, understand that political rhetoric is just “trash talk” similar to the banter among professional athletes on and off the playing field. There is no deep-seated, personal animosity between Democrats and Republicans – except maybe for the very few extremists that reside on both sides of the aisle. The problem, I believe, that may have lead to the tragedy in Tucson and other hate crimes, is that people who may have significant personal, emotional or financial issues are inflamed by what appears to them to be personal attacks by their political icons on members of the opposition. The political figures involved are not responsible for the heinous acts of their followers, but their public personae and stance on many issues certainly contribute to the unfortunate outcomes.
Simon, my friend, likes to think the best of all people, and he is usually right. But there are people near the center who are unhappy with the political divide, as evidenced by many articles, emails, blogs, urging Congress to come together and get things done without all the bashing. While some of it may be trash talk, much of it is not. The bombasticism is used to gain the upper hand in a debate. The Right holds onto the Constitution,gun rights, apple pie, and personal responsibility as if they are the keepers of this this righteousness. I wish it were so, that opposing members of Congress or any other legislative body could duke it out respectfully but firmly during the day, and have dinner and drinks together in the evening. Now most pols would not be caught dead breaking bread with someone from across the aisle, an increasingly widening divide.
I tend to agree with you, Jerry. I think there are more American people congregated toward the center on both sides of the aisle than there are on the "fringes". Unfortunately, with American politicians that's a rarity. That's part of the reason they need to throw dozens of unrelated clauses in a bill prior to passage -- because none of them trust another of them at their word. The only way they're sure of getting their agenda pushed through is by attaching it to another bill that one of their political "foes" will vote for. How sad is that?
Regarding the original blog entry, I agree with you. The bickering, finger pointing, and political posturing needs to be swept aside. Most of it is complete BS anyway. It's time for healing and helping instead of bickering and blaming.
Post a Comment