Showing posts with label Gabrielle Giffords. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gabrielle Giffords. Show all posts

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Violence in American Politics

Will The Arizona Shooting Rampage Create A Period of Political Instability In The United States ?

The New York Times reported that the Arizona shooting rampage has exposed the fact that politics in the United States has been becoming more vitriolic -- and violent.

''The shooting of Representative Gabrielle Giffords and others at a neighborhood meeting in Arizona on Saturday set off what is likely to be a wrenching debate over anger and violence in American politics,'' reported The New York Times.

The impact that the alleged shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, wanted to have on the U.S. political system is unmistakable.

''Along with being accused of trying to kill Ms. Giffords, Mr. Loughner was charged with killing or attempting to kill four other United States government officials : United States District Judge John M. Roll and Gabriel Zimmerman, an aide to Ms. Giffords, who were killed, and two more Congressional aides, Pamela Simon and Ron Barber, who were wounded.''

The Times even went so far as to compare the Arizona shooting rampage with an act of domestic terrorism.

''Not since the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 has an event generated as much attention as to whether extremism, antigovernment sentiment and even simple political passion at both ends of the ideological spectrum have created a climate promoting violence.''