The Diane Rehm Show

I think it is incorrect to see this incident as a political statement. This young man is obviously severely mentally ill. Apparently he was asked to leave his school because of his behavior, seen to be odd by students and faculty alike. Why did they not steer this young man toward getting help for his mental illness? Did they try to talk to his parents? Were his parents even aware that he was ill? Who, indeed, should share the blame for ignoring this young man's illness and his subsequent behavior? When will this nation face mental illness squarely in the face and act responsibly in addressing it? How many times do incidents like this, the one at Virginia Tech etc. have to happen before our nation becomes educated about how to address mental illness?

That said, I do believe that those who incite hate and violence can certainly have an effect on the mentally ill. Those who are the most prominent media stars should know they are speaking to people like the young man who may follow their exhortations toward violence. I hope they will all picture the beautiful face of that 9-year-old girl next time they spew hatred.

Wow! I'm impressed. The show hasn't even aired yet and people are already able to comment on it.

Jerry Rubin once said that violence is as American as apple pie. This seems especially on point right now. As a culture we celebrate, even glorify, violence in television, in movies, in sport, in video games, in our choice of metaphors in daily speech. We need to look to ourselves for the roots of this tragedy.

Talk about evasion (and self-centeredness)! Apparently Congressman Burgess thinks this is all about himself. "I never cut off a microphone . . . . I never called anyone a liar . . . ."

Maybe not, but I recall his colleague (Joe Wilson) calling the President a liar (falsely, I might add). I recall Palin's 'target map', her "lock and load" speech, the prattle about "Second Amendment rights", and the constant threat that unless they got their way some people called for using bullets instead of ballots.

Left-wing, right-wing, there is no question the nature of political discourse has become dangerously vitriolic. I wonder how our Republi-Con friends would react if we liberals began saying we should "target conservatives"? Remember "Second Amendment Rights" belong to all members of the political spectrum!

Turn down the volume before we end up with a Second Civil War!

I am disappointed in Congress Burgess' lack of responsibility for the vitriol in political speech. Clearly, he doesn't have to be "guilty" of hate speech to condemn it and to work to minimize it. I would like all of our representatives to "grow up." Instead of saying, "It's not my fault," I would like my representatives to say, "Debate is important and sometimes it has a hard cutting edge, but we need to model appropriate behavior for our constituents." I would love to hear that but I seriously doubt it will happen. Too much emphasis has been placed on winning an election than on leading a country.

Our elected leaders must now understand how vital it is for them to lead by example. After a particularly mean campaign season with scandalous ads, and libelous claims that appeared to be designed by 7th grade bullies, the politicians have to demonstrate restraint and tolerance. They have to control the messages delivered by their PACs, and restore dignity to the idea of public service.

Other than the expected "not me" coming out of those who are knee deep in this vitriol, I find the Texas Congressman's use of the word "healthcare", when refering to what has forever been the conservative buzzword "Obamacare" telling. Though the congressman backpedal's the issue, he is obviously aware of the inciteful nature of such a term. The GOP lost it's way during the flight of Dixiecrats to the Republican Party. Lee Atwater's abuse of the system, stretching the truth politically - forever changed the tone of what is acceptable. He later asked forgiveness for his political sins, but the damage lingers on.

Jeff
North Carolina

I feel like we've all slipped through the Looking Glass. Why has almost NO ONE talked about the issue of GUNS in our society??? Here in New Hampshire I'm appalled to say that our new Republican state legislature has voted to ALLOW guns to be carried concealed into the State House!! This is utter madness and a symptom of the national madness.

Diane,

I would also like to hear your guests comment about the level of education in this country when "sound bites" become "news," rather than having a thoughtful, logical discussion about issues. Commercialism rules; education loses; so do all of us.

Thank you again.

Linda Stephan

I think that the headlines that are blaming this killing spree on hostile, hateful speech from both sides are missing the point. More than that, I believe they are a deliberate distraction. They are part of a Republican ploy to escape responsibility as fast as possible.
I don't think I have EVER heard a Democratic politician encourage violence against an opponent. In contrast, Sarah Palin's Facebook page still had her rifle cross hairs image, that targeted Democrats, displayed on the web even after the Tucson attack. The Republicans, with no apologies, have helped to create, and have absorbed the gun-toting Tea Party movement, with all its vandalism and threats against political opponents.
The headlines in yesterday's New York Times, instead of reading "Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics", should read, in my book, "McCain's Legacy".

In regards to the debate of whether violent political tone and metaphors can be a contributor to actions such as we saw in Arizona, I just want to point out that there is much concern with violent imagery in cartoons and video games and their affect on children and young adults. If we are concerned about that why should we not also be concerned about that same from our political leaders?

Shouldn't this killer be called a terrorist? I don't know how could anyone make the case otherwise. I guess that it is again reserved for Muslims ONLY... unless he didn't terrorize innocent people and killed six others.

There was a documentary program last year that was run, I think on CNN or PBS and one of the things that was pointed out is that Congressmembers now spend far less time together than they did in the past; fewer bring their families to D.C. and they return home more often. As one former Congressman said, it’s hard to stab someone in the back when your sons are friends. ( I am paraphrasing, of course.) It seems to me that one solution would clearly be for Representatives and Senators to meet each others’ families and socialize more. There ought to be cookouts and picnics and many different opportunities for our elected representatives to get to know each other. It will also decrease misunderstanding a great deal because they will know what is valued by other members.

Without minimizing the possible influences of mental illness, political discourse or media influence in this case, two incontrovertible facts remain: We are a society that tolerates a high level of violence, and anybody who wants to obtain a gun for use in an act of violence can do so. If we accept these two conditions as unchangeable, I feel that we will see the same conditions that prevail in less stable countries, where government officials and those with money or power will employ security services to protect themselves and their families, and those of us without means will live in fear of targeted or random acts of violence.