The Problem with Sidestepping

After the horrific shootings in Tucson, there was a great deal of discussion about the dangers of violent rhetoric. Unfortunately, Americans tend to suffer from collective Attention Deficit Disorder and so, after about 2 weeks, the whole discussion was quickly forgotten as we moved on to the next debate.

But when we don't deal with this kind of rhetoric head-on, it has a tendency to continue to pop up. To wit,

An audience member at a town hall hosted by Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) on Tuesday asked the Tea Party congressman who was going to shoot President Barack Obama.

The unidentified town hall attendee's question got a big laugh from the audience, reports Blake Aued of the Athens Banner-Herald.

But Broun didn't exactly condemn the remark, according to the newspaper report.

"The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year," Broun said in response to the question. "Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president that will take a smaller, who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

The very fact that someone had the audacity to ask this question at a public meeting is alarming. It suggests that there still are a lot of people out there who, if they don't like a politician and/or their policies, believe the use of violence to get what they desire is acceptable.

Even worse, Broun chose not to deal directly with the sentiment behind the question. By providing a mealy-mouthed response, I'm sure that some people in the audience (as well as across the country) will believe that he is not necessarily opposed to the use of violence in the manner suggested.

Because this incident has generated some very negative publicity, Broun probably will issue some kind of statement that he does not support the use of violence against political leaders he and his supporters despise. Unfortunately, that won't cut it. Most people will realize his apology is nothing more than a way to put him in a better light.

It is sort of like when a parent forces their child to make an insincere apology. The child will mumble the words, but everyone involved knows it doesn't really come from the heart. The child merely is trying to escape the worst consequences for his/her actions.

By not dealing with the remark at the appropriate time, Broun has provided some people with the idea that there are folks in this country who would be pleased and supportive of the violence that was suggested. When some members of our society come to believe that inappropriate means of dissent hold a measure of legitimization, our democratic ideals are in deep trouble.