House Majority Whip Steve Scalise shot in Virginia

[Kiyoat Husker]

I get the gun-control angle to this story, but to me this tragedy is more the result of political polarity and campaign rhetoric becoming more contentious and more hateful.

 

There are always going to be nut-jobs on the extreme ends of the left and right wings, but lately it seems like the polarity, hate and intolerance for the "other side" has boiled over, pushing the extremists to the edge. This has been growing over the last 15 or 20 years, but Trump has done a good deal to take things to a new level with his campaign rhetorics of hate, his petty trolling tweets, and his policies of trying to completely erase the Obama legacy, even things that made sense to everyone, like healthy school lunches.

 

We need to start to look for compromise and middle-ground centrism, or more insanity from both sides will be on the way, IMHO.

[Danny Bateman]

I get the gun-control angle to this story, but to me this tragedy is more the result of political polarity and campaign rhetoric becoming more contentious and more hateful.

 

There are always going to be nut-jobs on the extreme ends of the left and right wings, but lately it seems like the polarity, hate and intolerance for the "other side" has boiled over, pushing the extremists to the edge. This has been growing over the last 15 or 20 years, but Trump has done a good deal to take things to a new level with his campaign rhetorics of hate, his petty trolling tweets, and his policies of trying to completely erase the Obama legacy, even things that made sense to everyone, like healthy school lunches.

 

We need to start to look for compromise and middle-ground centrism, or more insanity from both sides will be on the way, IMHO.

 

In short, we need a healer.

 

Trump is not that.

[NM11046]

Let's hope that Ryan & Pelosi's tone is one that continues and that can be built upon. They're doing a nice job right now.

[Ratt Mhule]

Apparently Tanner Lee is a family member of Scalise and they are very close

[Nebfanatic]

^that's an interesting tidbit

[BigRedBuster]

[BigRedBuster]

[Saunders]

I get the gun-control angle to this story, but to me this tragedy is more the result of political polarity and campaign rhetoric becoming more contentious and more hateful.

 

There are always going to be nut-jobs on the extreme ends of the left and right wings, but lately it seems like the polarity, hate and intolerance for the "other side" has boiled over, pushing the extremists to the edge. This has been growing over the last 15 or 20 years, but Trump has done a good deal to take things to a new level with his campaign rhetorics of hate, his petty trolling tweets, and his policies of trying to completely erase the Obama legacy, even things that made sense to everyone, like healthy school lunches.

 

We need to start to look for compromise and middle-ground centrism, or more insanity from both sides will be on the way, IMHO.

Well said.

[Moiraine]

Glad no one died.

 

I can't understand why anyone would want to "win" this way. And to go even further, it has the opposite effect.

[Bigred_inSD]

He used "till" as a word.

 

Dave Brat ® for Virginia talking about town halls almost said how it takes one person to do this to ruin it for everyone then caught himself and got super uncomfortable with his words

[sho]

[RedDenver]

I really hope this is an isolated incident and doesn't spark more violence.

[Ratt Mhule]

Yikes

[Huskerzoo]

 

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/james-t-hodgkinson/congressional-baseball-shooter-729035

(poor name of sited website ^^ considering the situation we are talking about)

The shooter:

The gunman who opened fire this morning on Republican congressmen and staffers recently declared in a Facebook post that, “It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

The accused shooter, James T. Hodgkinson, 66, posted a link to a Change.org petition in late March that included the notation that, “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

Hodgkinson’s Facebook page includes numerous photos of Senator Bernie Sanders, whom Hodgkinson appears to have supported during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. In posts last August, Hodgkinson wrote, “I want Bernie to Win the White House” and “Bernie is a Progressive, while Hillary is Republican Lite.”

Hodgkinson, a Belleville, Illinois resident, has worked as a home inspector

So I get this - he's crazy.

 

Let me pose this though ... if he had posted these things and then shot up the D practice what would the reactions be?

 

 

I'm going to be at this all day on various forums, but crazy implies mental illness and that's just stigma. It's worth being careful with language.

[NM11046]

 

 

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/james-t-hodgkinson/congressional-baseball-shooter-729035

(poor name of sited website ^^ considering the situation we are talking about)

The shooter:

The gunman who opened fire this morning on Republican congressmen and staffers recently declared in a Facebook post that, “It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

The accused shooter, James T. Hodgkinson, 66, posted a link to a Change.org petition in late March that included the notation that, “Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It's Time to Destroy Trump & Co.”

Hodgkinson’s Facebook page includes numerous photos of Senator Bernie Sanders, whom Hodgkinson appears to have supported during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. In posts last August, Hodgkinson wrote, “I want Bernie to Win the White House” and “Bernie is a Progressive, while Hillary is Republican Lite.”

Hodgkinson, a Belleville, Illinois resident, has worked as a home inspector

So I get this - he's crazy.

 

Let me pose this though ... if he had posted these things and then shot up the D practice what would the reactions be?

 

 

I'm going to be at this all day on various forums, but crazy implies mental illness and that's just stigma. It's worth being careful with language.

 

You're absolutely right. I am usually more aware and careful. Thank you and editing now ...