[pjw] THOUGHTS: Dialing down the rhetoric and the violence

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello

Most of you have probably heard by now that someone shot at people, 
including former President Trump, at a rally yesterday.

The shooter appears to be a homegrown white 20 year old "loner" who was a 
registered Republican. To use a stereotype, the kind of person who might 
also have shot up a school or a mall, and had the requisite AR-15 assault 
rifle owned by his father. (Oh don't tell the NRA I called it an assault 
rifle).

One person in the crowd was killed, and the Secret Service shot the 20 
year old and killed him as well. Two other crowd-goers were seriously 
wounded. Donald Trump's ear was nicked by one of the bullets.

The rhetoric coming from politicians is that violence is not how to 
resolve political differences, that the campaigns should dial down their 
nastiness. I completely agree with this.

But they and the media never then dig deeper to ask why would a person 
think that killing someone his how to resolve a conflict? Maybe they 
shouldn't cheer when our country assassinates so-called terrorists, or 
blows up buildings and kill men, women and children or funds countries 
that do so.

"This is not a third world country, these things don't happen here." But I 
guess it's ok when it happens in (list shortened to keep email from going 
over the character limit):

Korea
Viet Nam
Panama
Iraq
Haiti
Somalia
Yugoslavia
Afghanistan
Yemen
Pakistan
Libya
Syria
Russia
Gaza/the West Bank
etc.

Or for that matter on the streets of the US-- Rodney King, Michael Brown, 
George Floyd and here in Portland Kendra James, James Chasse, Aaron 
Campbell, Keaton Otis and dozens more people killed by the local version 
of the military.


So yes, let's support less harsh language among politicians and community 
members not using violence against others to make their point.

But first, look at your own house (in this case, the White House) and stop 
the wars, end police brutality and show the world how to be peaceful.

Rant over.
dan handelman
peace and justice works