Previous incidents were minimized, IMO.
Political violence is common these days, from threats against town election officials and school board members up to the president. American culture used to share bedrock values, but we've fractured. The public square has been replaced with silos. Stochastic speech is accepted; normalized. And so is the violence it spawns. Civility, engagement, and common purpose are not central any more. Everything is viewed as binary.
I can speak from first-hand experience that the way we choose our leaders feeds division and creates a climate ripe for violence. I'm in New Hampshire. Our beloved first-in-the-nation primary gave us easy unfiltered access to presidential candidates for a year in advance. A candidate with few resources could invest time here meeting voters in informal settings and town halls. Unknown or unlikely candidates with good ideas and an effective ground game could generate buzz and parlay a good showing in Iowa and NH onto the national stage. President Carter and Senator McCain come to mind. Average folks like me would meet and speak to candidates from all parties, often several times. We took our job of vetting candidates seriously.
From my experience, face-to-face engagement in small settings promotes civility and engagement in a way big scripted rallies cannot. Big money funneled through SuperPACs has eroded retail politics. Candidates who are well-known and well-funded now skip small town halls that are open to everyone. They jet in for huge rallies of supporters instead and repeat canned stump speeches instead of engaging. Policies are reduced to soundbites. The more outrageous the candidates comments are, the more harshly the candidate villainizes others, the more air the soundbite gets. Discussion of national priorities has devolved into a blood sport.
Political violence is the foreseeable result of eroding norms. When we eschew common ground, stoke grievance, and dehumanize those who aren't like us, disgruntled individuals and groups will act on the rhetoric. If enough of us repudiate this shift in political culture, maybe we can de-escalate the violence that pervades civic life.
All MOO.
I do have hope in the younger people though
Peace!
