My heart is broken tonight and my cheeks stained with tears. What happened today in Tucson is beyond words. Right now, the grief is almost overwhelming.
We don't have all the facts yet. There are still people fighting valiantly to cling to life. Families are in terrible pain. In a perfect world, we could focus on respectfully supporting the victims, mourning, and empathy. Of course, this world is far from perfect.
A lot of finger pointing is going on and blame is being placed. Even a diary that had nothing to do with this has come under fire, into the media glare, and was deleted by its author today. We are saddened, angry at the loss of life, and frightened. In response to these understandable emotions, we lash out and place blame. I know this won't be a popular idea, but I think we all bear a little blame.
I see a great deal of blame being tossed around in the aftermath of today's horrifying mass shooting and attempted assassination. So much finger pointing, yet very little introspection. Well, as I see it, there is a lot of blame to go around and we all shoulder a bit of it. Hyperbole is not owned by a single party or political belief.
Politics is a passionate affair because it is so inherently entwined with our quality of life. We feel strongly about policies, disagreements, our representatives, every aspect of the body politic and our emotions are heightened. When emotions are roused and one wants to make a point, too frequently hyperbole is used a method to shock, insult and demoralize the opposition, and rouse support from peers. Hyperbole and rhetoric darkly tinged by anger and terms that infer violence can be a double-edged sword indeed. Words are powerful and despite the old adage, they can be harmful and hurtful as well.
It is easy to slip into these tactics when overwhelmed with frustration. Which is why we have to think rather than simply react; apply logic and persuasion instead of allowing our emotions to take over. The hyperbole and heated rhetoric that fly about so easily are not constructive; rather they have an inherent ability to become or enable something very negative. Sadly, even those of us who don't engage in it fail to stand up to it, particularly when it is being used by someone we basically agree with.
I'm tired of hearing that politics is a "bloodsport" and "if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" when an objection is raised to uncivil, cruel, or even violent-tinged words are used to further a point. We need, as a group, to call B.S. when this occurs. Simply blaming a certain person or ideology for heated rhetoric after an event like this doesn't cut it. A no-tolerance policy needs to be used.
If a personality uses over the top rhetoric and hyperbole, whether we agree with the basic premise or not, we need to change the channel, register a complaint, express that we want to have this important discussion but it must be made reasonably and factually, or take some similar action to express that this is unacceptable.
Civility not only has its place, it is a necessity in a civilized society. An articulate person can disagree vehemently without resorting to veiled threats, violent references, personal attacks, or any other mechanism that rachets up the hate that leads to violence.
These tactics are being employed by people of all political persuasions in the media, in conversation, and yes, even here at times. It needs to stop; emphasis on "needs." These tactics are dehumanizing and when we lose sight of the humanity of our opponent and ourselves, it is a short slide into the abyss. While we ourselves may be capable of grasping that our statement is just words, clearly, not all listeners may be able to understand that same concept.
Yes, it is easy to point a finger at the right, packed with hateful gems like Rush and Beck. However, the Right alone does not own this nor does the Right alone have to live with the consequences. We all have an obligation to work towards returning the discourse to constructive status and steer it away from hate.
If you do engage in these tactics, please, try another approach. If you hear someone engage in these tactics, please, speak up against it. If your favorite media outlet is giving these tactics a platform, let them know that it is not acceptable.
Yes, passion exists in politics. I wouldn't have it any other way. But we have an obligation to choose our words wisely and frequently, if we just thought for a few seconds longer, other words would convey our passion and point as or more effectively without the potential for something dark and insidious.