968: Children of the same foul spirit
Minnesota and beyond
Prayers today not only for the victims of violence in Minnesota, but for the public servants throughout the country for whom a political assassination brings unnecessary fears and anxiety.
Political violence can be both rare and have broad impact.
As NYU historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat chillingly observes:
"Authoritarians understand that violence doesn’t have to be widespread, it only needs to be visible and unpredictable. Its message is deterrence."
Back in December, we titled our response “No buts about it”, criticizing the overly nuanced reaction from some Democrats to the assassination of a healthcare executive.
This morning, my mind went back a few years and across the aisle, to Representative Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH). His impeachment vote led to threats, which in turn led to him returning to civilian life.
From our September 2021 piece on him in The Bulwark:
Representative Anthony Gonzalez’s decision not to seek re-election has crystalized the need and opportunity for Democrats to aggressively recruit disaffected Republicans in order to put more House seats into play for 2022.
It is difficult to be shocked anymore, but for a moment, consider his announcement in conjunction with George W. Bush’s speech at Shanksville a few days earlier, where Bush named and framed Americans’ duty to confront the January 6 insurrectionists:
We have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders, but in violence that gathers within. There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and those at home. But in their disdain for pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit, and it is our duty to confront them.
Within days of Bush’s call to confront the foul spirits, Gonzalez announced he would not try to rejoin the “toxic” GOP caucus.
Gonzalez made clear that his decision was related to the threats of violence against not just him, but his wife and children, following his vote to impeach Donald Trump.
“He recounted an ‘eye-opening’ moment this year: when he and his family were greeted at the Cleveland airport by two uniformed police officers, part of extra security precautions taken after the impeachment vote,”the New York Timesreported.
And as Rep. Adam Kinzinger said hours before his colleague’s announcement, such political violence “seems like it might be the new normal.”
The full piece can be found here.
A sense of peace may not be available to our political leaders, but our gratitude and grace should be. Prayers to Minnesota and beyond.