The violence continues. Today, a disgruntled political activist committed an act of terrorism by opening fire on a baseball practice attended by several Republican members of Congress. Forty to fifty shots rang out. The incident could have been far worse. No one was killed. Five people were injured, one critically. Louisiana Representative Steve Scalise was taken to surgery for a gunshot wound in the hip.
Two capitol police officers quickly took down the gunman, James Hodgkinson of Illinois, despite sustaining gunshot wounds themselves. Hodgkinson is dead. Our culture of violence is very much alive.
The shooter was a volunteer for the Bernie Sanders campaign last year. Since President Trump’s election, he has actively protested administration policies and actions. There’s nothing wrong with his passionate political engagement. But recently, his Facebook posts became increasingly vulgar. His anger turned to rage. He came to embody the same incivility that has ramped up protest into tribal hatred across the American political spectrum. Regardless of your political leanings or the merits of your political activity, when you cross the line into violence, you’ve lost your legitimacy. When doing harm to others becomes a means of expressing your political discontent, your violence has become the issue, completely obscuring any cause you seek to advance.
Robust political debate is the lifeblood of democracy. But the hateful, vengeful rhetoric that has become commonplace on-line and in the streets over the last decade is a disease that, if left untreated, can kill democracy.
There’s been quite a flap over a Manhattan theatre production of Shakespeare’s “Julius Ceasar,” in which the character of Caesar has been dressed and made up to look very much like President Trump. In the play, Caesar is assassinated. Trump supporters have been crying foul, perhaps not without justification. But they (and, I suspect, a lot of anti-Trump people) are missing the most important message of “Julius Caesar.” The protagonist is hated for his arrogance and unbridled ambition. But when he is killed, Marc Antony mourns his assassination, and decries the culture of violence that poisons even the noblest motives.
“All who live by the sword shall die by the sword,” Jesus told Peter, who was ready to defend his Master with violence. It didn’t matter that Peter was on the “right side” against Jesus’ enemies. Violence was no answer. It never is. Today’s shooting, a terrorist act against the Republican party, is an indication that our sickening love affair with guns and violence threatens to engulf the entire political debate.
Enough with the thoughtless rage and uncivil discourse! No political persuasion justifies our increasing tolerance for violent images and rhetoric. Those pictures and words cannot be contained. They always eventually lead to violent action. And violence only brings death – not only of the body, but also – and more importantly – of the soul.
©2017 by J. Mark Lawson
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Posted by: Kamau | 06/30/2017 at 06:07 AM