Shots Fired at Partisanship

Photo of Congressman Steve Scalise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We interrupt coverage of Russia-gate for breaking news:  Four people were shot and wounded during a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia early Wednesday morning.  Among them was Steve Scalise, a Republican congressman from Louisiana who is also House Majority Whip.  As of this posting, he is hospitalized in critical condition.

The man who local police say did the shooting supported Senator Bernie Sanders in the last presidential campaign, and who allegedly had an intense dislike for the GOP and President Donald Trump.  The suspect was killed by police.

With all the incendiary political rhetoric by both Republicans and Democrats in the past few years, we should have seen this coming.  Whether it's politicians who put party before country, Presidents who turn their backs on the rest of the world, conservative talk radio, raucous open forums, name-calling on the campaign trail and other things, it doesn't take much for some demented individual to take matters into his or her hands.  Just ask Gabrielle Giffords.

Gun control?  Are you kidding?  Congress won't pass legislation even when thousands of kids  are murdered every year due to gun violence on the streets.  Or, if you believe people like Alex Jones, it's all fake news.

Of course, Alexandria wasn't the only place where violence has occurred.  In San Francisco later that morning, four people including the gunman were killed at a UPS facility.  Just recently, London and Manchester, England were hit by terrorists, killing dozens.  And maybe in your town, there have been reports of random shootings resulting in the deaths of those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Everyone in Washington from the President on down offered messages of unity and outrage as one of their own lies in a hospital fighting for his life.  The baseball game Rep. Scalise was preparing for, which is the annual tilt between the Republicans and Democrats, will go on as scheduled Thursday.  Obviously, it's going to take more than a game to heal the nation's divisions that the participants themselves helped to create.  It is they who must set an example in toning down the toxic and divisive political rhetoric, which threatens to do more damage to this country than the Russians ever could.

Until then, we return you to our regularly scheduled scandal and gridlock.