In a recent interview on CNN, Hillary Clinton said:
“You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about… That’s why I believe, if we are fortunate enough to win back the House and/or the Senate, that’s when civility can start again. But until then, the only thing Republicans seem to recognize and respect is strength.”
Now, I understand that politics can get ugly, and that’s unfortunate. Anyone who dares enter the political landscape had better be prepared for misrepresentations and dirty tricks, slimy deals and back-stabbing colleagues. But what has historically been little more than mud slinging is now becoming even more than character assassination; it’s getting dangerous.
In the above-mentioned interview, Clinton referenced the “swiftboating” of John Kerry. She also talked about the “lies” the “right wing” told about her. But in both of these cases, including others she mentioned, we were dealing with wars of words. Even if lies were told (and I certainly don’t believe all the stories about her were lies), lies should have been expected – it’s politics… dirty, old-fashioned political theater.
But ever since Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, politics-as-usual has become a thing of the past. No longer is it acceptable to have a conversation; words have been exchanged for screams toward the sky and door-banging. When Hillary lost, the old way of doing things had to change and a new norm had to be established.
Even if Donald Trump is guilty of saying racist, sexist, xenophobic, homophobic, or Hillaryphobic things, what about his words justified violence as a response? Even if Trump disagreed with everything every Democrat ever stood for, does that justify threatening every Republican’s life?
Hillary said, “You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for, what you care about,” but how many conservative college professors called for the castration of Democrats? How many conservative comedy writers rejoiced at the thought of at least ruining somebody’s life? How many conservative school employees have asked when someone was going to “take one for the team” and kill somebody?
With all the violence, threats, intimidation, calls for attacks, death threats, and physical assaults meant to disrupt the lives of American citizens just going out to dinner or walking to work, how are the above words any less disturbing than anything Trump was accused of saying that supposedly promoted violence?
You see, regardless of your political persuasion…regardless of how you felt after the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh…where will ending civil discourse and the mature, adult-like exchanging of ideas lead? Where will you draw the line? What if you don’t win the next election, will you up the ante and resort to armed conflict?
That’s the way lots of other socialists around the world have done things. Why shouldn’t I be nervous?
I fear for America.
In December of 1941 the Japanese decided to end talking, resulting in the awakening of the “sleeping giant” Admiral Yamamoto feared. My question to the liberal and angry left is this: What kind of giant are you about to awake?
Even though so many of us saw what we believed in, some of our most treasured biblical institutions, assaulted by the Obama administration, we remained civil and kept our fight within the realm of discourse. We didn’t call for attacking Democrat representatives every time they went out to eat. Yet, amazingly, there are people who call themselves Christians who side with this new Democrat strategy. They evidently have no problem with the call for incivility and continue to support the people who endorse it.
I don’t understand.
Who is the author of confusion? Would the Prince of Peace identify with those who harass and intimidate? It would seem to me that Jesus is not behind incivility and terroristic threatening, so why would His followers condone it?
America survived a Civil War, but will we survive an Incivil one?
The Recovering Legalist 