Cause and Effect

The recent events in Tuscon and the furious debate about the part violent political rhetoric and images played in it have had me thinking. I am saddened that we are so degenerate as to have spent the majority of the day that was dedicated to memorialize the victims and heroes discussing the merits of a Fox commentator's speech, rather than trying to get to the bottom of the more substantive question, "Was this heinous act in any way related to the violent words and images that have been cropping up in our politics?"

Karen Hughes, former Press Secretary for George W. Bush, said this: "...while words cannot be blamed for violent acts, words are powerful things. Scripture counsels that we will be held accountable for every careless one. Our words can lift up or tear down, bring us together or rip us apart. Our political debates can and should be spirited. But our words should seek to convince, not to bludgeon." in her article in the Washington Post. What is interesting is how similar it is to Sarah Palin's claim that, "Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them. Not collectively, with all the citizens of the state."

Both are essentially saying, "You cannot trace a direct line from the rhetoric to this event."

Meyers is honest enough to add, however, that the rhetoric can "build up or tear down" and that we "will be held accountable for every careless [word]".

So the rhetoric cannot be blamed for the murders, but words are intrinsically powerful and can change the environment into which they are cast.

This is similar to the problem we face with global warming. Most weather scientists will say something like: "While increasing global temperature cannot be blamed for any particular event, it can be understood to increase the likelihood of such events." In other words, global warming creates conditions that are more favorable for catastrophic weather events, but you cannot say that a particular catastrophe was caused by global warming.

If over-heated language is like global warming, then wouldn't it be prudent to look for ways to cool it off?

I think so, and I hope my political leaders do, too. Then again, there are a lot of people who choose to ignore the signs of global warming.