The Arizona Assassinations

I had a lot to talk about yesterday but of course when I got home from work, and heard about the assassination attempt on Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, other concerns seemed trivial in comparison. Emotions are running high on all sides and the burning question when such tragedies occur is always - why?

It's far too early to pinpoint the exact reason that drove this young man to such extremes but one thing is clear. This was an attempted political assassination, not just a random act of violence by a crazy person. His target was clearly Rep. Giffords who was holding a well publicized, public event to speak with her constituents. But why her? Why now?

I'm trying to avoid the finger pointing, but I've been haunted by these clear facts:

And for those wondering why a Blue Dog Democrat, the kind Republicans might be able to work with, might be a target, the answer is that she’s a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist. (Her father says that “the whole Tea Party” was her enemy.) And yes, she was on Sarah Palin’s infamous “crosshairs” list.

It was bitter contest and she won by a slim margin. I'm reluctant to succumb to drawing straight lines between this disturbed kid and the toxic hyperbole that has dominated our political discourse for far too long but one can't help but recall the many GOP and Tea Party candidates who made reference to Second Amendment solutions and armed revolution. And while this kid may well have been a "lone wolf," he is just the latest in a long line of "lone wolves" who committed acts of armed violence in just the last couple years. Via Digby, this list of the bigger instances should at least suggest there's a connection between fomenting anger and fear for political or personal gain and inspiring unstable individuals to act out on it.

Certainly, the local Sheriff sees it that way:

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government," he said. "The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

Of course, no one, not even the most virulent partisans actually wishes the end result will be murder. They do mainly stoke the public anger for personal gain, to win ratings or power. However, as the list continues to grow, it's certainly time to admit that false and violent rhetoric can not be carelessly tossed out to the masses without consequences.