Latest from the NY Times on the mindset of the person who opened fire on the Republican members of Congress who were training for the annual baseball game at a field in Alexandria VA:
The Virginia shooting suspect was an opponent of President Trump and “wasn’t happy with the way things were going,” his brother said.
There are quite a few people (myself included) who think that the current administration and the Republican majorities on Capitol Hill are doing their level best at enacting policies that will inflict major harm upon the American people (particularly the most vulnerable amongst us) and our standing in the world.
But no matter how depressing the news coming out of Washington is on a daily basis, there is ABSOLUTELY NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER in our republic or anything it stands for to attempt to murder elected officials or their employees.
None whatsoever.
If one vehemently opposes everything those currently in power are trying to do, then there are plenty of alternatives available to resist them:
- Actually contact your elected representatives (preferably in writing)!
- Come up with your own stand-up routine (I’m rather liking John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight”!) to point out the absurdity in their policies and political positions!
- Draw an editorial cartoon (I SO miss you Doug Marlette)!
- Write a song that throws some shade toward the politicians (if Taylor Swift can do that to her former boyfriends, I’m sure we can do the same to Congress)!
- Make the corporate sponsors of the politicians you disagree with feel the heat by voting with your dollars to their competitor!
- Demand higher quality candidates from the political parties and refuse to accept the party hacks who are being bribed to sell us down the river!
And here’s a crazy thought…show up at the next election and actually VOTE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF OFFICE!
These strategies are suitable for use on politicians of any partisan persuasion.
But pulling out a gun and going on a killing spree is NEVER an acceptable solution in a civilised nation. 🙁