Post-baseball shooting: Getting off the rhetorical merry-go-round
If we want things to be different, we must act and do differently.
Wednesday’s baseball shooting left several injured and one dead.
In things I never thought I’d say, I must agree with both President Trump and Sen. McCaskill — unity, not division should be the goal at this day’s end.
It’s impossible to ignore the toxic political polarization or that as Professor Jacobson discussed last night, yesterday’s events were the unavoidable outcome of years of incitement. This much is pure fact.
Did the rhetoric and general political climate play a factor in Hodgkinson’s assassination attempt? We don’t know. But regardless of all mitigating factors, the only person responsible for Hodgkinson’s actions is Hodgkinson.
The compulsion to blame is understandable. But it’s also counterproductive.
Jim Geraghty from National Review explains:
“Political passions are not an inherent stepping stone to violence. No matter how satisfying it is to claim that the latest outrage proves that the majority of the opposition is enraged bloodthirsty maniacs, it remains a lie.
We are now trapped in a cycle where conservatives feel unfairly blamed for the “climate of hate” after the Tucson shooting and are eager to play the same card against liberals. It’s hard to begrudge the feeling, but it doesn’t make it any more true. At at some point, if the cynical claim that impassioned political speech causes violence is used frequently enough, people will start to believe it – and attempt to restrict it.
This guy did enough damage today. Don’t let the First Amendment be collateral damage, too.”
Yet, it’s possible to simultaneously recognize the gaslighting, the toxicity, the hatred, to continue to speak truth to the lies and expose the malice and still refuse the same, tired ol’ political blame game. What makes a good political score makes for a terribly dangerous country.
After years of the exact.same.cycle playing out over and over and over again, I would hope that at some point, we will decide to get off the merry-go-round and move on towards productivity. The status quo is not working.
The collective desire to be “right” and to prove wrongness is hindering our ability to find even the smallest shred of consensus. Yelling about gun control won’t undo the damage done to our country. Neither will reposting Kathy Griffin’s horrible bloody-headed photo op.
If change is what we really desire, we’d be better off closing the computer, putting the phone down and instead, focusing on helping others.
Change does not begin or really happen in Washington or any other government house — it happens at home, as President Reagan so famously advised. Government houses merely reflect the heart of the American home.
It matters greatly how we talk about others, engage with our neighbors and everyone we encounter in this life.
The only way to effectively right the ship is by spending more time listening and less time yelling. By taking the time to find even the smallest parcel of common ground on which to begin (it exists if we can exercise the patience required to find it).
For better or worse, we are all part of this great American experiment together. But we’ve created an environment that makes it an unforgivable political sin to reach across the aisle in search of commonality and agreement.
It’s the humanity we share that ought to bring us together. In his address after the shooting, Speaker Ryan asked for a moment of reflection and the willingness to focus that which unites us:
Dr. King said it best:
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That’s why Jesus says, “Love your enemies.” Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they’re mistreating you. Here’s the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don’t do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they’re mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.”
If we want things to be different, we must act and do differently. It is far easier to blame than it is to do, but ultimately, it is up to each of us to do our part to ensure this country, our home, and our future is the absolute best it can possibly be. Should we fail in this task, I genuinely fear for what lies ahead.
In all we do and say may we find the grace to respond with love.
Follow Kemberlee on Twitter @kemberleekaye
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Comments
Sigh.
The fact of the matter is that “we” don’t need to do a damn thing different. “They”–the left, the media, that whole set of crazies–need to change “their” behavior.
What do you think is going to cause that change to happen? That’s the discussion that needs to occur here.
When “we” do something different I can guarantee Democrats and their enablers will like it even less than what we’re doing now.
Welp, we’ll agree to disagree. This is not a ‘cycle’, this is entirely one side attacking the other side, my side. Every day is a relentless assault on our way-of-life, our God-given liberties, and indeed our lives. It’s like fighting jihadis, unless you’re willing to name your enemy, you don’t have a chance of successfully defending yourself.
Also, the notion that the democrat “prayer” was anything other than some photo-op for a camera defies belief. They were probably gathering to begin coordinate how they were going to handle this stuff in the media. You may call me cynical, but we have about 100 years worth of evidence as to the nature of the democrats and socialists. Go turn on CNN if you need more proof, or open the New York Times.
Kemberlee’s article is pretty much what every battered wife says when she goes and puts up bail for the guy who just gave her a pair of black eyes.
OK, let’s see if they stop saying, “the GOP healthcare plan will kill people.”
Oh please.
With “93 million people dying every day from gun violence” (Va Gov McAuliffe), in a week or so, there won’t be anybody left to use any form of ObamaCare.
Just as in every call for “compromise,” this call for “coming together” will be answered by the supposed right moving in the direction of the left.
This morning’s disgust is the news (if true) that Senator Grassley will have the judiciary committee investigate the Comey firing? What the hell is going on? I feel that Republican “leadership” is isolating those of us who believe in the rule of law.
Such a hearing should be quick.
First question: “Did President Trump have the legal authority to fire Director Comey at any time for any reason?”
Answer: “Yes.”
“Hearing adjourned.”
Or this:
Question: Did the president have the absolute unfettered discretion to pardon Flynn when he said, “I hope you see your way to let Flynn go?”
Answer: Yes.
Hearing adjourned.
If we want things to be different, we much act and do differently.
——————————–
That is 100% correct.
We must now treat them EXACTLY as they treat us.
Respect? They need to give a little.
Mercy? They need to show some.
#WAR
We’re in a crisis worse than 1854, the first time the Republicans fought the Democrats. At least the first time around, the Democrats weren’t dead-set on destroying, by any means possible, government of the people, by the people, for the people. Not so today; they are determined to employ Orwellian tactics to doom the country to an Orwellian future. And I don’t see much room for compromise.
When one sits down to dinner with cannibals, one is usually the main course.
It would be nice to live in a world where the strains of Kumbaya playing in the background, but this is not likely to happen. Unity for Progressives and the Left, including Democrats is doing what THEY want. There is no compromise from the liberal Progressives and there never has been.
Since WWII, several liberal Progressive Democrats were elected to the Presidency. No conservatives rioted or shot up politicians during those administrations. Bill Clinton had two terms in which no riots occurred and politicians could walk the streets without fear, even with the scandals surround those administrations. Eight years of Barack Obama was a “summer of love” love fest Though the Obama administrations were caught in scandal after scandal, some of which involved illegal activity, no riots, no physical attacks against Dems. Most Republicans and Conservatives follow the rules. They work from within the system to effect change.
The liberals are an entirely different matter. Liberals exist in a world of “feelings”. Reality is unimportant to them. They allow “feelings” to define reality for them. many are ideological zealots. They believe that they are “a mission from God” [except the atheists who are more devout in their faith that there is no God than a Roman catholic Bishop is that God exists]. And, there for, man’s laws are irrelevant. In their “world”, they are free to lie, cheat, steal, destroy and kill. And, they do.
The actions of the Democrats, the liberal media and anti-American anarchist groups has contributed to the current level of violence being utilized by the left. And, they should be blamed for their part in this.
The great irony of all of this is the fact that the Republicans are just as anti-Trump as the Democrats. The Republicans in Congress have been obstructing President Trump at every turn. The Republican leadership has joined the Democrats to take down a Republican President. So, the Republicans are already unified with the Dems. What did it get them? A violent physical attack by a Democrat. An attack which could have left 15 Republican Congressmen dead. Gotta love the irony, here. Maybe the Republicans should wake up and actually work against those who seek to harm them.
Nice sentiment but this is a struggle for the direction of humanity. At least one side knows it. The side in power seems a bit clueless like always.
Because the Democrat caucus has devolved into mostly members from the most liberal parts of the country (they’ve blown it elsewhere) and the MSM, you can be assured that this is only the beginning. Zero sum game now. The most powerful moves win.
With the impending demographic disaster, the Left is approaching endgame. They don’t want unity; they want conquest. 2024 will be the realization of the final slide in Venezuela-ization for the US.
I believe I speak for most of us on our side when I say that I refuse to play nice with the other side. That train left the station back around 2012. They drew first blood and they need to pay the price. I vow to step up my efforts to defeat their hateful and dangerous ideology. There is no middle ground with the antifa, the gaystapo, BLM, Hollyweird, LaRaza, the media and the rest of the extreme Left. They are committed to destroying our country and our institutions, so we must commit to defeating them. #molonlabe
At some point in time, the alt-left will destroy their own coalition. Look at the BLM stopping the gay pride parades or the one parade that banned the Gays for Trump group.
In response to our Mika Jr.
Everytime something like this happens, “they” are first to run and form a circle jerk to sing Koombayah, and they are also the first to going back to business as usual.
They also have had many many opportunities to give a sign of good faith and have failed.For example, I don’t remember the time they formed a gang of 14 to keep in place the filibuster rules.
I don’t remember Nixon going “scortched earth” during impeachment proceedings. I don’t remember court cases trying to open sealed divorce records.
If they want to make peace, then next time they have power they can make signs of good faith. Until then it’s just so much crap designed to not lose even more power.
Getting off of the rhetorical merry-go-round simply leaves the playground to the lefties. Extending the olive branch to someone clubbing you to death is pretty much a failed strategy. The opposition always has a say in how any conflict is fought and only a fool thinks otherwise. The lefties know that their escalating belligerence will cause the soft right to assume their time honored default position of compromise. It works for them.
The left will eventually win it all simply because they are committed to their cause no matter the duration. They’re okay with winning ugly. Too many on the right like to talk a good game, but only if the conversation remains polite. Disengaging now because the lefties have really, really offended you is rather silly. Soft beyond belief.
The Democrats and other leftists: By any means necessary.
Call it what it is… a Democrat terrorist attack. If it was a white supremacist or Islamist we’d call it a white supremacist or Islamist terrorist attack.
The Democrats and Never Trumpers are already making the argument that Trump’s “divisive” rhetoric is to blame.
No. Sorry, but this approach will not work. There is no negative feedback in this approach. They use dirty tactics, call us disgusting names, spread easy lies and liken us to the worst monsters in human history. Unless they feel pain for these tactics, they will never stop using them.
How often do we mock lefties for responding to terrorist attacks with folk concerts and Twitter hashtags? We understand that such hands-off approaches are doomed to failed and show weakness to our adversaries.
There must be consequences for bringing us to this point. Hopefully shame and disgust at their actions and what those actions have wrought will be enough.
The left has gone so radically left that everything else is right by comparison. Many of the less-than-radical lefties have found it tolerable to pitch their tents temporarily in the relative safety of the right, but they are not of the right. They do not and cannot recognize a need for the traditional right to defend itself. Catering to these lefties in exile is a huge mistake.
I’m guessing what really needs to happen is that the “great unwashed” left needs to grow the F up.
It seems to me that a majority (if not every)of mass shooting incidents here in the past several years turns out to be perpetrated by someone on the left. Yes, pull together. Yes, strive for unity. But there’s one major part of the problem that apparently wants little or nothing to do with those ideas. And it ain’t the folks on the right. Personally, I have about one cheek left to turn and that’s it.
The problem is the leftists of the 60s have grown up and are the ones influencing the country right now. What we are seeing now is the next generation of leftists (which are even more lefty) are in college and gaining strength.
“In all we do and say may we find the grace to respond with love.”
Yeah, that’ll work.
Fool.
Here is one site that you can start doing something – donate in tribute to the Rs that were attacked.
https://www.congressionalbaseball.org/
Also, call your congress critters to tell them to pass tax reform, healthcare reform, confirm those judges and admin people. Also, pass the budget.
Tell them not to go on their summer recess and get work done!
Note to commentors, apparently none of you are able to see the so very clear contradictions in your comments/perceptions. This really does concern me. The irony is that it only confirms that you’re no different, whatsoever, from those you profess to be the “cause” of these occurrences. Well done, people. Seriously. It takes talent to live life with so little insight.
As for those of you who are name calling and labeling (looking at you, Rabel) you no longer have any credibility (nothing new, really) when you criticize the “left” (or anyone, for that matter) for engaging in extreme, reactive behaviors.
Also, Tom Servo takes the award for most uninformed statement in the comments section…and that’s saying something, people.
That is all. Proceed with your impressively ill informed life beliefs.
Wow, it took you 130 words to say nothing at all. HuffPo is hiring, you would like it there.
Actually, Huffpo is firing these days.
More loonies on the loose now.
How much does it pay to spread that BS?
I think Tom nailed it.
Yes, he did.
I used fool because I wanted to avoid profanity. It was difficult.
KK can hide under the table and call for peace in our time but it isn’t going to work. We turned the other cheek and they put a bullet in it.
Let us pray my azz.
“peace in our time” I see what you did there. It’s important to remember that we’re the defenders in all of this, the left is, and always has been, the aggressors. They’re openly trying to tear down this nation.
To: Jburgert…. We have tried being civil and being fair and what do we get for it? The left started this with Reagan but the last stuff started with OWS. The violent movement backed by a foreign billionaire set to destroy American culture and civil society.
The Tea Party was a non-violent civil movement to fight the takeover of every facet of our lives by the federal gov’t. What happened the IRS used its power to squash the movement and the left called us fascists and racists. None of which was true.
The lefts response was OWS. A violent and corrupt movement that has morphed into other violent movements like… BLM and Antifa both of which are backed by Democrat Party leadership. We’re not talking about some fringe elected official but leaders of the Democrats.
The result is an attempted assassination of Republican congressional members by a nutjob who believes what his party said. He’s just following thru on what he thinks leadership really wants.
I don’t know what the answer is but the Democrat Party better do some soul searching. If they can find their souls. IMO I think it’s too late.
FWIW If the right in the country were violent the massacres would be much worse. They know how to shoot. The right is not violent and only wants rule of law not the rule of man.
I am not sure that the Democrat leadership is the only congressional leadership that is OK with what is happening.
Dr. King said it best:
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, “Love your enemies.”
How did that work out for the Reverend?
The left has always murdered their way to greater power and control. The body count in the last century is over million.
If you wish to save lives, fight them early. After they get power they’ll kill all and any opposition.
Uh, that was supposed to be “over 100 million”.
From the NYTimes:
Correction: June 15, 2017
An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated that a link existed between political incitement and the 2011 shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords. In fact, no such link was established.
I appreciate the self-analysis of our side, but honestly we haven’t done anything.
We decry those on our side when they commit crimes. Democrats don’t.
We care about character but don’t demand perfection. Democrats don’t care about character on their side and demand perfection on our side
We uphold free speech and defend those speaking things we don’t like. Democrats shut down any speech they deem unacceptable.
We accepted Obama as the winner. Democrats refuse to accept Trump as winner.
This list goes on because it has become a war and not because of us, but democrats.
We better win!
the Left wants another Civil War…
they won’t win this one either.
Apparently the bloody, simulated, Shakespearean murder of President Trump will go on as planned tonight at 8:00ET in Central Park.
Someone should send them Kemberlee’s column.
Somewhere an important point was missed about our congressional ballers. Did everyone somehow forget that, even in the D.C. Wonderland, we elect and we pay Senators and Representatives and their voluminous staffs to oversee the lawmaking and financing of the U.S.of A. Just how does it make sense to abuse old bodies while wasting valuable time and energy better spent turning the country around.
Oh well, as was said in West Consin: Old cheesemakers never die – they just lose their whey.
Kimberlee needs to be more careful on picking her source for cognizant quotes. For example, one of MLK’s famous quotes was recorded by the FBI at the Willard Hotel in Washington on the night of January 6, 1994. According to Newsweek:
That night [after a day attending a SCOTUS hearing on discrimination in Alabama] King retired to his room at the Willard Hotel. There FBI bugs reportedly picked up 14 hours of party chatter, the clinking of glasses and the sounds of illicit sex–including King’s cries …[claiming he was doing it for God] and “I’m not a Negro tonight!”
I backed away from the “great” MLK when it became apparent that he was a womanizer, a plagiarizer and likely a Communist. And behind his “Peace” front were his Deacons for Defense and Justice Army in Louisiana who bashed some heads.
1994?
Play to Win or Go Away
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0bS95mSZ44