The country’s political discourse has deteriorated to the point – or become so robust—that the president can drop an f-bomb and get one lobbed back in return. Of course, caustic rhetoric is as old as the country—sometimes with dire consequences. A vice president once killed a former Cabinet member in a duel. A House member beat another lawmaker unconscious in the Senate chamber.
But threats against public figures have spiked in recent years and occasionally erupt in high-profile flashes of violence, such as the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, or the assassination of conservative organizer Charlie Kirk. Social media spreads antagonistic messages that might have circulated privately in past decades across a polarized society immediately – everywhere. The trend is worrisome for some politics watchers because weapons are readily available when voters get riled by their leaders and disputes go beyond harsh words. “Political violence and heated rhetoric have been present throughout our nation’s history,” Gabrielle Giffords, who retired from the House after being shot in the head in January 2011, told USA TODAY. “However, we are at a uniquely dangerous point: Extreme rhetoric can be used to radicalize people online, and dangerous weapons are more accessible than ever before.” Mitch Daniels, a former Indiana governor and director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said politicians understand their profession "ain't beanbag" but "a full-contact sport." But he said candidates could demonstrate the self-control necessary to govern by renouncing vulgar language and the vilification of rivals as destructive and corrosive.“Imagine someone who runs—most notably for president, but this could happen at other significant levels—who says, ‘Enough,’” Daniels told USA TODAY. “There’s a lot of dice loaded against it. An unlikely remedy would require public figures to rein themselves in. Mitch Daniels, a former Indiana governor and director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, said politicians understand their profession "ain't beanbag" but "a full-contact sport." But he said candidates could demonstrate the self-control necessary to govern by renouncing vulgar language and the vilification of rivals as destructive and corrosive.“Imagine
someone who runs—most notably for president, but this could happen at other significant levels—who says, ‘Enough,’” Daniels told USA TODAY. “There’s a lot of dice loaded against it.
0 Comments