Is Sarah Palin being wrongly blamed for the assassination attempt against Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords? Columnist Andreas Ruesch of Switzerland’s Neue Zurcher Zeitung writes that Palin is being castigated for America’s deeply-ingrained habit of politicians attacking opponents in stark military terms.
For the Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Andreas Ruesch writes in part:
That everything in the U.S., even the most shocking tragedy, ends up being exploited for fiercely partisan purposes, is one of the ugly sides of the their culture of debate. But as far as a causal link between the partisan debate in the country and the Tucson killings, there is not the slightest evidence. For all the legitimate concerns about the populist from Alaska, it is all-too-easy to theorize that Palin or the Tea Party Movement have created a breeding ground in which murderous plans like the one in Tucson could flourish.
As for Palin’s crosshairs, one must bear in mind that tastelessness like this is part and parcel of U.S. political life. Even Democratic leaders have made use of crosshairs in their election campaigns – and at times not only aimed at maps, but directly over the heads of their opponents.
This is by no means intended to play down the vitriolic rhetoric in American politics. Quite the contrary. More respect for differing opinions and the abandonment of demonizing the opposition could only benefit the political climate in the U.S. But it would be naive to think that society could ever be free of violent lunatics like Jared Lee Loughner.
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