When James Hodgkinson attacked the Republican practice for today’s Congressional Baseball Game wounding House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and three others, it was evident his attack was politically motivated.
Hodgkinson volunteered for the Bernie Sanders campaign, and he also was a supporter fo the Southern Poverty Law Center and before firing on the Republican team made up of members of Congress he asked if the group was Republican or Democrat.
Some on the right want to pin the blame on SPLC and Sanders.
They are no more responsible for yesterday’s attack than pro-life groups are when abortionists are targeted, or Sarah Palin was when former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was shot (some on the left blamed her because of Sarah PAC’s map of targeted congressional races with cross hairs).
Mental illness and our sinful nature are not partisan. Hodgkinson and Hodgkinson alone is to blame for yesterday’s shooting.
Pointing fingers after an event like this will help no one.
Justifying the attack doesn’t help either.
Wonder why pic.twitter.com/WCWyndfIgo
— Alex (@PlancksLaw) June 14, 2017
If the shooter has a serious health condition then is taking potshots at the GOP house leadership considered self defense?
— Malcolm Harris (@BigMeanInternet) June 14, 2017
It is best to avoid Twitter after events like these.
It has been said that politics is a blood sport. That was meant to be a figurative statement, but it appears it may become more literal. ThisĀ change isn’t because of political rhetoric (it has always been nasty, but calls for violence need to end), but mainly due to how we live our lives.
It is easy to live in a siloĀ whether you are on the left or the right. We tune into what we agree with. Our social media feeds are nothing but echo chambers to which we turn to instead of getting to know people who are different than we are in real life.
As a result, those with whom we disagree are no longer people who have inherent worth and dignity, but the enemy who must be defeated and whose belief systems are destroying our nation.
Our country has become even more polarized since the election. We (whether you are on the left and the right) need to begin bridging the divide, or we will see more people likeĀ James Hodgkinson on the horizon.