Politically Charged Violence - Who's Responsible?

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Medusa

I'd like to know what folks think about the responsibility behind the shooting. Do you think that today's political climate is ripe for violence? Do you think that the vitriol created by the SarahPac map, certain political propaganda, etc. is a form of hate speech? Do you think that our first amendment rights mean that we get to incite violence even if it's in innuendo?

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by pajara2

Democrats say it about Republicans, Republicans about Democrats, it just depends on who's in office at the moment. Sarah Palin no more caused these deaths, than Jody Foster caused Reagan's shooting or Marilyn Manson caused the shootings at the high school, than playing Dungeons and Dragons caused whatever else. And guns don't kill people...idiots and nut-jobs wielding those guns kill people. IMHO

I think the political/religious climate is escalating, as our whole society is. We care less about each other, respect each other less, etc. So as a species, humans have become more violent. Again IMHO.

A

Pajara pretty much summed up what I was thinking when I read Medusa's question. It's a bit eerie too, since the VERY first thought in my head was 'guns don't kill people...people kill people'.

I see the disconnect between people, the humanity, more and more on a daily basis. We're isolating ourselves with our MP3 players and iPods and laptops. We are talking more on the cellphone than to our neighbors. Children are growing up with little to no discipline or rules and with a highly elevated sense of entitlement.

Our society has swung far to the other side of the pendulum now. Before, it was a hard day and we worked hard and our folks had it hard. Now, it's all about being soft and weak and self-absorbed. Over time, we've wanted our kids to have a better life, but who declared hard work part of a life that wasn't better?

I see a connection between what was and what has been avoided and where we are now. I think those spewing violent words and inciteful speech should be held accountable. I think those who fell down on the job, so to speak, along the way should be held accountable.

But, in the end, no matter what you hear or what you think or what you saw, there's that moment the second before a finger pulls the trigger back just a hair more where it's just you and your conscious and the weight of your thoughts and mental actions (because you've played the scene in your head a thousand times already) and most of us, I'd like to think, would not do it. And do it. And do it. And do it. And do it. Over and over again. The final responsbility for one's actions fall squarely on the shoulders of the one who commited them.