The rhetoric continues to heat-up regarding the health care debate. Cries of ‘baby killers,’ images of rifle scope targets, and discussions of ‘dead men’ are filling the airways. It is time for both parties to show leadership and tone down the discussions before words become tragic actions.
There is euphoria or deep disappointment depending on which side of the health debate you are on. Both political parties are attempting to fan whatever flames to ignite their momentum toward the November midterm elections. The problem is the words are leading to threatening phone calls and bricks through windows.
Violent rhetoric inflamed emotional debates during the civil rights movement and Viet Nam War protests leading to deaths. When leaders chose to call colleagues “baby killers,” they ignore recent murders by extremists, like Scott Roeder who shot a physician in the back. According to the killer, “There was nothing being done and the legal process had been exhausted, and these babies were dying every day. I did what I thought was needed to be done to protect the children.” That is the problem. While politician and news organizations speak of rebellion and targeting, weaker minded citizens decide to take action. Other psychopaths enjoy the invitation to demonstrate power via death and destruction.
Both political parties are at fault. The Democrats are amplifying the issue by calling multiple news conferences whining about the other side. In fact House Minority Leader John Boehner’s reference to a colleague’s vote, as a ‘dead man,’ received minimal publicity until the victim called a press conference to complain. The Democratic Party tried to use the violent rhetoric as a fund raiser. It makes you think politics is the world’s oldest profession.
The Republicans need to pressure their extremists to tone down. Also, they need to put a gag in their 24-by-7 partners, like Glenn Beck, who used spankings, guns, bombs and rebellion in the same breath the other day.
War-like words are often used to describe politics, like battlefields, duels, and casualties. Our leaders need to show better judgment in projecting analogies and passion in a manner that improves the debate without encouraging violence. Don’t wait for funerals to call a truce.
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Please Mark, don’t offer a false equivalence argument. Today there was an announcement in Seattle press that a man has been arrested for threatening to kill Sen. Murray because she voted for health care reform. Name me one who was arrested for threatening to kill a Senator for his or her vote in favor of the Iraq War. There were huge demonstrations in Seattle against it prior to the vote. Yet no threats to kill.
There are significant differences between the two political parties. Both have big problems but they are not the same problems.