Now the nation is in mourning for the tragic shooting in Arizona, in which six people died and which left Representative Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded, a bullet having passed through her brain. I find myself grieving deeply, and terribly disheartened. I keep thinking, "How could this happen? Where is our country headed?" The answers that come back to me are unnerving--because the causes are multiple, and there is no easy fix:
--guns are legal and easy enough to obtain
--mentally ill people are not adequately provided for
--our broken educational system is turning out citizens who are gullible and ill-informed
--economic suffering is widespread, and fear is rampant
But the immediate cause and concern of the violence in Arizona is the violent political rhetoric from the right, both from right-wing media figures such as Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly and from some of the leading political figures, one being Sarah Palin. Palin put a map online during the midterm elections which used cross hairs to indicate which Democrats she wanted defeated. We cannot talk about "targeting" the opposition, "taking them out," "killing them," etc., and think that these words don't make a difference.
Jesse Kelly, the Republican who ran against Congresswoman Giffords in this last Congressional race, and almost defeated her, had a campaign event in which voters were invited to come to a shooting range and "shoot a fully automatic M-16." Really? This is somehow something I never aspired to do.
The individual who did the shooting was by all accounts mentally ill, but my experience as a clinical social worker convinced me that the mentally ill end up acting out the extremes of the societal psychosis. When admired political pundits and elected officials pepper their speech with violent rhetoric, they should expect the result to be exactly what they are getting: a 300% increase in threats to members of Congress (Politico.com). The windows of Rep. Giffords' Tucson office were shot out or broken after Congress passed the health care law, and similar acts recently happened to other members of Congress. Our Congressional leaders may become unwilling to go to public meetings and speak directly to the people.
The saddest and most disappointing thing of all is those in power who will not speak out against this rhetoric of violence, who support it when it suits their purposes. As Martin Luther King, Jr., said so eloquently, "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." It was true then, during the struggle for racial justice, and it's true now.
When will we learn that language has power? That words support action? That suggestion is significant? Let each one of us notice and mention--let's don't allow the rhetoric of violence become the status quo. As we think and speak, so we will act. What kind of country are we becoming?
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Dear Marilyn,
What kind of country are we becoming? I, too, grieve.
Clearly, much of the violent rhetoric that has emerged results from the advent of the nation having elected an African American President. It was easy for so many to assume/pretend that racism was dead. We, as a nation, have never really dealt with the societal abuses of African and Native Americans, thus the denial is completely out of control and takes many forms...But nevertheless, I have faith. We are headed for more healing, however unapparent that may seem. You and I may be around 90 years old before it happens, but it will happen. This I know.
Sister
Dear Marilyn,
That you and the previous message poster would invoke racism for the cause of the gun shooter is just beyond any reason that I can imagine!
That "Sister" calls the President "African American" makes her (I'm guessing) a racist! Didn't the President claim that we are a melting pot nation? Of Americans, first?
Bizarre, to say the least. Why are we attacking radio talk show hosts? ABC reported clearly that the shooter's friends said that the shooter did not listen to this medium, but rather he had an altar similar to those worshipping Lucifer!
If our message is for love, then these personal attacks and claims of racism can't be helping the cause for peace.
Norm, I say 'sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me'. In terms of what's happening in our country, I say to those in the gun culture, please keep your guns at home, son. No open carry, no conceal carry. Not in my streets.
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Clearly, much of the violent rhetoric that has emerged results from the advent of the nation having elected an African American President. It was easy for so many to assume/pretend that racism was dead. We, as a nation, have never really dealt with the societal abuses of African and Native Americans, thus the denial is completely out of control and takes many forms...But nevertheless, I have faith. We are headed for more healing, however unapparent that may seem. You and I may be around 90 years old before it happens, but it will happen. This I know. ged prep kit ged exm prep
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That you and the previous message poster would invoke racism for the cause of the gun shooter is just beyond any reason that I can imagine!
That "Sister" calls the President "African American" makes her (I'm guessing) a racist! Didn't the President claim that we are a melting pot nation? Of Americans, first?
Bizarre, to say the least. Why are we attacking radio talk show hosts? ABC reported clearly that the shooter's friends said that the shooter did not listen to this medium, but rather he had an altar similar to those worshipping Lucifer!
If our message is for love, then these personal attacks and claims of racism can't be helping the cause for peace.
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