It looks like civil discourse is dying, if not already dead. We've disagreed with each other since Adam and Eve, and that's OK. If there are two people in a room, they're gonna disagree about something, count on it. But now disagreement has moved beyond words and is going violent. And I don't mean "violent" as in a couple of drunks in a bar fight, but "violent" against our ruling class in Washington DC.
Is it any surprise? Congress is a miserably disagreeable bunch, and they seem to like it that way. As long as they can get a back-slap from their hardcore faithful, and continue to shake them down for a few million $$$, they don't care about the opinions of others. Fair? Pfffft! They don't give a shit about fair! They, Democrats and Republicans alike, absolutely live to crush each other. Take no prisoners, winner take all.
Liberals hate conservatives and vice versa, publicly at least. We're Christian vs Muslim, wealthy vs poor, the ivory tower vs the unemployed, pro vs anti abortion, pro vs anti gun, pro vs anti gay marriage, pro vs anti welfare, pro vs anti public healthcare, pro vs anti public education, pro vs anti tax cuts, pro vs anti regulation, pro vs anti climate change....pick an issue and there are LOUD, disrespectful partisans on both sides, being whipped up into frenzy by our politicians. There are probably both right-wing militias and left-wing anarchists who would relish seeing their opponents physically whacked. And here we are....
This morning a group of Republican lawmakers were practicing for an upcoming charity baseball game in Washington when they were attacked by a gunman. Five were injured, the gunman is in custody, motive unknown. What's gonna happen next? Will there be copycats who will jump on? Congressmen's town hall meetings have already become increasingly testy. Will they now be cancelled altogether? Will our lawmaker's offices, both in Washington and in their home districts, become open to citizens by invitation only, after a pat-down? (And a personal financial statement review, of course.)
The immediate response, after a rousing bipartisan chorus of Kumbaya, will likely be a call for more gun restrictions by Democrats, and a call for less restrictive gun rights by the Republicans. Both will appeal to their faithful, both will pull in a lot of money off of it....and nothing will change. It never does.
Am I the only one still non-aligned who can't see what this despicable bunch of professional politicians have done to us?
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1. this is why the aliens won't talk to us.
ReplyDelete2. if I was God - I would smote the whole lot of us.
Nothing happened after Gabby Giffords was shot. Why should this be any different? Same old, same old in Washington. Trump's campaign stirred up a lot of hate. This is the result of a hater with an assault rifle.
ReplyDeleteI think politicians should be forced to live by the laws they pass for the rest of us, that includes security and healthcare. Gabby Giffords knows this all too well.
ReplyDeleteIf only they had guns instead of baseball bats. Disappointing the shooter was a Bernie supporter; no real Bernie supporter though would try using a gun to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteNothing will change. Well, something might change if a John Hinckley Jr. comes along and tries to shoot the President. Donald Trump being Donald Trump would want change then, because it's all about him. But not until then.
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