Tuscon and What Could be Gained or Lost
On January 8th an ugly attack took place in Tuscon Arizona. The attack has been interpreted to be not only against Rep. Giffords, the intended target, or those unlucky enough to be near her, but also against the heritage of diverse political viewpoints that America has always prided itself on fostering. Within hours of the event a very clear narrative had begun to be echoed throughout the media. That is, the shooting was a result of a public discourse so filled with “vitriol” and ever-increasing tensions that it was the only natural conclusion.
Almost as incredible as Rep. Giffords’ own continuing survival was the speed with which commentators and coworkers alike confessed their own lack of surprise at what occurred. I got the bizarre sense that there was almost a collective relief that it did happen, not out of any lack of compassion for the victims or pleasure from the tragedy, but so that they could finally exhale. It’s the kind of relief an alcoholic being forced into rehab might feel. Part of the psyche is grateful that the downward spiral can’t continue any further, the other fears, perhaps knows, it is only a temporary reprieve. There is maybe 28 days of sanity. Enough time to remember there really is something to lose.
That is where the country sits right now. The hate-speech has been reined in. Everyone feels genuinely upset about what happened. People of all faiths and political persuasions keep Giffords in their prayers as they simultaneously rally around their disgust of Loughlin. Yet even as the dust settles I get the sense the whole communion is incredibly fragile.
Pundits began to target right-wing commentators almost immediately, as the greatest source of the aforementioned vitriol. Those figures defended themselves with the same gusto they attack any other subject. The victims are still in intensive care or worse, and already our political system is begging to have just one more drink. How do you function and have genuine disagreement and conversation without anger? Increasingly this is an ability lost to Americans, and it serves only to hurt us.
The civil free-fall we have been caught in seems to have made contact with something, hopefully ground, and we can begin to pick ourselves up. Unfortunately we are unable to even have a discussion about the circumstances that may have lead to this. All of a sudden Sarah Palin’s famed map of target mid-term districts are “surveyor symbols” and Rush Limbaugh is spouting that the left will use this as an excuse to control the airwaves, coerce the free-press, and infringe on your first amendment rights. Some of these responses are ridiculous, but is it unreasonable for Republicans to feel threatened by the mass outpouring of blame directed towards the right? The biggest mistake we could make now would be to frame this as another Right vs Left debate. We need personal responsibility more than ever. And personal responsibility begins with ourselves.
The figures we have elected, by ballot or viewership, to represent us in the public arena are incapable of saving us from the unsustainable and dangerous landscape we have allowed to be sculpted. They are too invested in the current system. That isn’t to say things can’t improve. Only that we should stop going to the bartender for advice on our drinking problem.
Stop listening to the talking heads demonize the opposition. Turn it off. Stop letting yourself feel angry at a political party for having ideas different than your own. Don’t fall prey to believing individual politicians matter, or even have any real control over events. They are only human beings. Don’t forget that, while there are a variety of issues at stake in politics, none of them are doomsday. The biggest effect you are likely to see from an act of congress is a 4% swing in your income that appears or disappears (The last congress recently voted to keep the tax rates the same and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called it “landmark legislation”). It’s nice to have a say in what happens to that money, but not at any price.
In the end, I hope the events of January 8th have served as a wake up call to many people. We can collectively take the energy from that awakening and use it to build momentum towards figuring out whats best for our country, if not in a bi-partisan way, then at least a civil one. This isn’t something that will happen easily, but it starts with what we tolerate as acceptable, and that’s something each of us can change.
