I get news alerts on my BlackBerry every morning. On Jan. 8, I was awakened by a series of vibrations alerting me to the developing and breaking news coming out of Arizona.
I was horrified, as most Americans were, when I heard that a gunman shot a sitting member of Congress, Representative Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and 19 other individuals as they were participating in one of Giffords “Congress on Your Corner” events.
I jumped out of my bed and turned on the television, as the news was just unfolding. It was surreal and shocking to see images of wounded Americans being flown out of the scene, innocent Americans who were simply looking to participate in our vibrant democratic process, by communicating with their local congresswoman.
Watching news commentators and politicians offer their condolences and go over the motives of the delusional gunman made me think about the state of American politics.
Just two years ago, I recall the feeling of unity as I stood with a million Americans as President Barack Obama made history and was sworn into office on the promise of hope and change. I remember overhearing citizens young and old, watching this historic event occur in person, describe that “only in America could the absolute peaceful, non-violent transition of power” occur.
I volunteered for his historic campaign, making phone calls to Florida, New Mexico, and Nevada, now, for the most part, Republican strongholds as the 2010 midterm elections swept a tea party inspired type of change into state legislatures and into Congress.
I remember speaking to moderates, a strange concept in today’s politics, as some of them told me that for the first time they were inspired by our democratic process, that they felt included, and that they believed that only in America could someone with President Obama’s life story make it all the way to the Oval Office.
As I watched in horror, and images of Representative Giffords on a stretcher were shown on live television, I couldn’t help but ask myself what happened to the political discourse in our country.
We don’t yet know the full motives of the madman that claimed the lives of six innocent individuals, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. But, how, in two years, could some people in this country feel like it is necessary to react in violence against people who hold different political viewpoints than they do?
We know that the toxic environment created by extreme individuals contributes to the hostile political environment we see today.
Those who declare that we should “use second amendment remedies” to create change in our political environment, as stated by defeated “Tea Party” candidate Sharron Angle of Nevada, contribute to the increased level of divisive political attitudes in America.
Political figures who tell their supporters that we should “take back our country”, “get rid of the death panels and obamacare” and put targets on the congressional districts of members of Congress, like Sarah Palin of Alaska, inspire already unhinged people with their irresponsible statements.
It is my hope that this is a temporary period of extreme political hostility in America; that when Representative Giffords survives this attack, the political discourse in this country will move from both extremes to the middle, where Representative Giffords is on the political spectrum.
We live in a participatory democracy, where decisions are made by ballot and not by bullet. Those on both extremes threaten the foundations of this country.
Most Americans fall in the middle. They are those Americans who I talked to on the phone about being inspired for the first time to vote during President Obama’s campaign. They are the Americans who went to see history being made in 2009, a peaceful transition of power we’ve grown accustomed to in America.
The violent extremists on both sides of the aisle in this country are not the heart and spirit of America; the people who stayed and subdued the gunman in Arizona, who helped the survivors as the first 911 calls were made and the first responders arrived on the scene, those Americans represent our country. It is those Americans who should represent the political discourse in our country.
I am hopeful that this will be a wake-up call to all of us, that we will remember that we are all Americans, that we all want what is best for our country, and that this type of violence against public servants will never be acceptable in our vibrant, participatory, and free democracy.
