"Those
who incite things in such a fashion mustn't be surprised when one day, shots
ring out. Gabrielle Giffords has paid for this vicious onslaught to within an
inch of her life. … At least America is finally looking inward and asking a
critical question: what are the implications for democracy when holding public
office effectively means putting one's life in danger?"
U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords: Gunned down while meeting constituents at a grocery store, she is in critical condition after a bullet passed through her brain.
DUSSELDORF: America is in a state of shock. The bloodbath in
Arizona has shaken a nation which must recognize that when hateful rhetoric
poisons the political climate, brutal violence may follow. Perhaps this was the
act of a lone offender, perhaps it was a conspiracy imprinted in the collective
consciousness - who can say for sure upon first reaction. It's obvious,
however, that there were intellectual instigators. Ever since Barack Obama
moved into the White House, populists on the right have never tired of hitting
him below the belt. He has been depicted as an evil force that must be stopped.
The demagogues have defined the president and his Democrats as diehard Marxists,
who have their minds set on seizing capitalism away from brave Americans.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
It has gone so far that
racists are threatening to form armed militias to put an end to the supposed
tyrants in Washington. Those who incite things in such a fashion mustn't be surprised
when one day, shots ring out. Gabrielle Giffords has paid for this vicious
onslaught to within an inch of her life. For months she had been bombarded with
threats. At least America is finally looking inward and asking a critical
question: what are the implications for democracy when holding public office effectively
means putting one's life in danger?
