This morning a gunman opened fire on Republican Representative Steven Scalise and members of his staff while they were practicing baseball. Scalise was hit in the hip. The gunman is dead, shot by security. Apparently before opening fire the gunman asked whether the players on the field were Republicans or Democrats. This has the indications it was political violence, not a gang-banger looking for cred.
My questions: Will the “Resistance” realize they have pushed the assassination theme too far, and pull back from political violence? If not, is this the starting gun (quite literally) for what some have predicted – the Second American Civil War? Remember, civil wars do not always consist of marching armies. They can also develop into partisan warfare, like Bleeding Kansas.
I would be curious to see what others think things will go.
(I hinted at the possibility the country would slide into political violence in this recent book review.)
Seawriter.
Respectfully, I think you give too much credit to the resistance – whatever that includes.
This is exactly their intent. I am sure many are quite comfortable with this tactic and sad it wasn’t worse.
Civil wars are often simply disorder. In those cases they do not have to be organized. My question is whether those leading the “Resistance” (by which I mean the media and Democrat politicians – but I repeat myself) will realize where the path they are urging will lead to and pull back the assassination porn and excessive claims or corruption, or whether they will let things come to a boil.
If things do come to a boil, they are going to realize then they can no longer control things.
Seawriter
Brent, I don’t think there exists any such thing as giving “too much credit” these days. I feel as if I’ve time-traveled to the Wild, Wild West where the rule of law is entirely ignored to propagate the ’cause.’
I’ve observed the influence of an increasingly Sharia and politically Fascist world and am unfortunately unequipped to react to it. Americans froze in SB and Orlando because we simply are not used to random violence (outside South Chicago, that is). First World nations rarely are.
You may argue these are two different issues, but I’m afraid they are not. Young, impressionable Americans are ‘impressed’ by terrorism as it appears to be a quick and glorious way to attain their goals.
Few know a damn thing about American history and how to defend it except Mike LaRoche. Unfortunately, Mike is not sitting in Congress.
I’m likely unelectable, anyway. But thanks for the vote of confidence, Lizzie! :-)
Liz, you make outstanding points as usual. The majority of America is ill equipped, trained, or prepared to cope with random acts of violence. I think this is a Blessing rather than indictment. I think it indicative of the wonderful nation we were and can be again.
The rule of law is only applicable in the aftermath of random acts of violence.
As to the question if this will turn to civil war? Quite possibly. I think it will be determined by two things:
1) Will the majority of the resistance be so horrified by today’s act they abandon violence and seek redress solely through electoral politics? If yes then no civil war, if no…then:
2) How long with the center and right tolerate the lawless violent conduct of the resistance? To my earlier point about the rule of law being only applicable in the aftermath those of us on the right may be compelled to stop the resistance.
“I think this is a Blessing rather than indictment.”
Of course it is, but at the same time, many citizens need to take a harder approach to the issues if we want to survive. I grew up in one of the most protected environments in the country, but I am smart enough to realize that nothing lasts forever unless it is defended.
After the 1967 Detroit riots and the federal threat of busing, my parents enrolled me in a private school in a NY minute. I was attending an absolutely terrific public school and enrolled in AP classes that were well on their way to preparing me for college. I was reading Shakespeare in the 9th grade and struggling with Calculus II!
I easily acclimated to the new private school I was forced to attend because my earlier educational background was comparable. My mother regretted she had to jerk me out of my p.s. but she wasn’t taking any chances.
She went on DEFCON 2.
Liz, you are absolutely correct.
I am a relentless advocate for citizens getting 16+ hours of initial handgun training and then 2-4 hours/month of proficiency training.
Additionally, I think annual care under fire medical training is required.
Optional training includes AR/Carbine and active shooter. Also should be familiar with and have a week or so of MRE’s and water.
You rascal! I knew you’d try to drag me back into the gun debate. Ok; I’ll be a good sport and take the bait.
Just to clarify:
I believe in the Second and admire those who are comfortable carrying. Remember that you are a military man and have obviously developed a comfort level with firearms. Also remember that there are many citizens such as myself who are genuinely intimidated by guns and would prefer not to carry.
My dilemma can be solved by supporting great pro-active police strategies that prevent and discourage violent criminal behavior in the first place. Again, I lived in NYC under Dinkins and had two purses stolen on a sidewalk in broad daylight and my apartment robbed. I spent a second tour of duty under Giuliani and the ‘stop and frisk’ and ‘broken windows’ theories had an enormous impact on my psyche and behavior.
Under Rudy, I knew cops were busy preventing crime BEFORE it occurred and it made all of us feel freer. NYC is all about the night life and suddenly I felt comfortable traveling on subways or hailing cabs in the middle of the night. I stopped buying long-strapped purses that I would drape diagonally across my body to deter snatchers.
4. Under America’s Mayor, I felt free enough to carry a clutch handbag on public transportation, stopped turning my engagement ring around on my finger and stopped walking down the middle of side streets to avoid the ‘shadows’ of the sidewalks.
We both have good solutions to the problem of crime, but I will never be convinced that William Bratton and the NYPD did not make my life a heck of a lot freer.
As for the far more complicated subject of terrorism, I support deportation. Period. We don’t have enough manpower to keep up with all of them.
***
Governor Jackass (McAuliffe) claims 93 million Americans are lost to gun violence per day. Been nice knowing you since we’ll all be dead by week’s end according to that moron.
I noted that when he said it. How incredibly stupid – but some are more impressed by numbers than accuracy.
WS: **
Egads, can the man read/interpret a graph?!
Hey, Terry needs to get into the news somehow. It is not like he has accomplishments, right?
lol
Like you, I have often wondered of late whether there will be a shooting war among the sides in the country.
Is it not sad that one of the wonders of our government BEFORE progressives was that government was small and intruded on mostly no one. This gave liberty room for people to be free and not impinge upon each other’s ideas. No longer.
Simply hideous…praying to keep from screaming.
This will increase the focus of polarization. The lines will get crisper, more clarity and the fear and anger will increase.
-Trump supporters will feel under siege
-Anti Trump will feel emboldened
-People who voted for Trump will feel fear and anger
-People who voted for Hillary will feel queasy
-McMullin voters will feel nothing
-The Media will bury it fast
-CAIR will say that terrorists are not Islamists
Bloody Kansas is the more likely state.
-Trump supporters will feel under siege
-Anti Trump will feel emboldened
Frightening to say, but I think you and I are intuitively correct.
As an aside, had a conversation with my best friend who is a resident of the blue state of Michigan and a liberal soccer mom. We were discussing future international travel plans. She and I have both enjoyed going to unusual places and my next trip is to St. Petersburg and Kiev. I jokingly referred to the fact that these may be the safest places to travel because Dems have accused our president of colluding with Russia. What better time to travel in that region?!
She didn’t pick up on the irony of my comment and remarked, “You are spot on.”
Sigh. Arghh. Mon Dieu!
More violence is coming. Even as the left pretends to condemn this attack today, leftist supporters will rejoice. Expect t-shirts featuring the shooter.
Believing that, my feelings re the left are much too hostile to write down, or say out loud.
I still remember years ago reading about the first casualty of the first Civil War. Someone raised a Confederate flag, or tore down an American one, and got shot. That shooter was then shot, etc.
The point is that partisans on either side disliked each other enough to kill.
We’re getting to that place again, alas. It would be better if the left would simply accept election results, and cease attempting to overthrow the elected government- but alas, they won’t.
“Believing that, my feelings re the left are much too hostile to write down, or say out loud.”
I know.