By Jack Bernard, contributing columnist
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. | Politically motivated killing is inexcusable. It is murder.
In the last decade, it has become common for people on both the right and left to excuse violence committed against leaders who represent the other side. In a democracy, political violence is wrong, period. Under the First Amendment of the Constitution, Americans have the right to free speech. However, people excusing such violence must be called out.
Here are just a few of the numerous violent incidents against both Democratic and Republican figures over the last 15 years:
- Rep. Gabby Giffords shooting, 2011: Jared Loughner shot and killed six innocent people and injured numerous others at a Tucsoncampaign rally for US Representative Gabby Giffords, who survived but remains severely impaired. According to friends, Loughner disliked women in politics and stated women should not hold positions of power. Although not a member of any formal group, his paranoid views on government parroted many of the right-wing conspiracies prevalent today.
- Congressional baseball team shooting: On June 14, 2017, there was an Alexandria, Virginia baseball game between Republicans and Democrats, an example of how opposing political views should not impede comradery. JamesHodgkinson, 66, of Illinois fired on the GOP group, severely wounding House Majority Whip, Louisiana Rep.Steve Scalise, who still carries the scars of that day. Hodgkinson, who had expressed left wing views, was shot to death at the scene by police.
- Pipe bombs mailed, 2018: Cesar Sayoc, a Florida based Trump supporter, mailed pipe bombs (explosives and timers) to prominent people around the nation who he believed were political opponents of Trump. Among those targeted were former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Kamala Harri, Robert DeNiro, and liberal billionaire George Soros. Because of law enforcement efforts, no one was injured.
- Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnap plot, 2020: The Wolverine Watchmen, an anti-government militia group attempted to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat. Whitmer stringently called out then President Trump over the federal government’s lack of preparedness and response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump responded back strongly, saying the governor was “failing.” The group was a backlash against perceived authoritarian control (i.e. containment of Covid measures) from Democratic leaders like Whitmer. The Wolverine Watchmen eventually stormed the Michigan Capitol, but the plot failed after FBI intervention.
- U.S. Capitol Riot/Insurrection, 2021: TheCapitol insurrection, a violent attack by right-wing extremists on the federal government, resulted in nearly 140 police officers injured, some severely. Four officers later committed suicide, and another died of a stroke the day after the riot. Because of the bravery of these officers, Washington political figures (Democrats and Republicans) who refused to overthrow the 2020 election were not hurt.
- Hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, 2022: David DePape is a rightwing conspiracy theorist. He invaded former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s California home and beat Paul (her elderly husband) with a hammer, demanding to know his wife’s whereabouts. DePape was arrested at the scene by police, but not before severely injuring Paul.
These six incidents are representative of what has been happening in our nation recently. Republicans and Democrats, from the president on down, must condemn all such violence without regard to politics. Selective condemnation will only fuel the fire.
Our nation is better than this. We must all condemn it, and find a way to bring us together more peacefully.
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