"The responsibility for maintaining a civil dialogue starts in every home and w/every individual."

[Clio the Leo]

A crazed loner, an old story, and a harsh political climate

<snip>

The blunt assessment of Clarence Dupnik, the sheriff of Arizona’s Pima County, carries a ring of a truth. “When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government — the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous,’’ said Dupnik, noting that Arizona, roiled by the illegal immigration debate, has “become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.’’

This may be true about Arizona, but the shootings could have happened almost anywhere in the United States, given how thoroughly both “lock and load’’-style gun metaphors and the demonization of opponents have saturated the nation’s politics. Even modest differences of opinion are now cast in furious ideological terms. This branding of people and ideas seeks to penetrate casual discourse and shape the impressions of otherwise distracted voters. But because it is so deliberate, this form of branding can also be deliberately avoided. And it must be.

Some innocent colloquialisms about “shooting down’’ proposals or “targeting’’ candidates will slip by. But the red-meat rhetoric — the declarations of revolution, the casual depictions of people as unpatriotic, the brandishing of guns as a symbol of political resistance — should be renounced across the political spectrum.

No political leader or movement should be held responsible for crimes that appear to be Loughner’s alone, and all Americans would benefit from a culture less conducive to the fantasies of unstable minds. Liberals are justified in expressing alarm over the coarsening of the political dialogue. But those who have rushed to blame conservative causes or leaders for the killings should pause and consider whether they, too, are waving a bloody shirt and feeding a culture of denunciation.

The responsibility for maintaining a civil dialogue starts in every home and with every individual.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2011/01/10/a_crazed_loner_an_old_story_and_a_harsh_political_climate/

[ItNerd4life]

1. How true! Finally some common sense on the subject. nt

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[woo me with science]

3. Thank you.

Much of DU really needs to read this and think about it.

[woo me with science]

4. Kick for visibility. nt

[NoPasaran]

5. Kick and rec

[ProSense]

6. There is a flaw in this editorial

It doesn't indicated who (and I'm sure the BG knows) is reponsible for this:

Some innocent colloquialisms about “shooting down’’ proposals or “targeting’’ candidates will slip by. But the red-meat rhetoric — the declarations of revolution, the casual depictions of people as unpatriotic, the brandishing of guns as a symbol of political resistance — should be renounced across the political spectrum.

They know damn well these are tactics used by conservative, but they never mention conservatives.

No political leader or movement should be held responsible for crimes that appear to be Loughner’s alone, and all Americans would benefit from a culture less conducive to the fantasies of unstable minds. Liberals are justified in expressing alarm over the coarsening of the political dialogue. But those who have rushed to blame conservative causes or leaders for the killings should pause and consider whether they, too, are waving a bloody shirt and feeding a culture of denunciation.

Here the editorial specifically suggests that liberals are blaming conservatives.

I have heard condemnations of the rhetoric, spefically calling out Palin and others, but I haven't heard a lot of Democrats in the media or politicians blaming conservative leaders for the killing. That's a friggin strawman.

The responsibility for maintaining a civil dialogue starts in every home and with every individual.

That's true, but given how this editorial is contructed, it completely misses the point, and will continue to provide cover for this