Editorial: Speculation into motives only widens our division

We didn’t need a shooting in Tucson to know that political tensions are high and that the elevation of political discourse is low. If this particular tragedy turns out to be apolitical, this problem will remain. In fact, the knee-jerk finger-pointing will have made it worse. That is reason enough for leaders of all political persuasions to strive for healthier disagreements.

All across the political spectrum, the rhetoric suggests that Americans are at war with one another. But the danger in continually painting horns on opponents is that some deranged people might see the devil and act.

Last October, President Barack Obama implored Latinos to vote more often so they could “punish their enemies.” Sarah Palin is adept at identifying “true Americans” as the conservative ones. The rest need to be “targeted” at election time.

We are mindful that these two politicians could face off in the next presidential election, and that the rhetoric could get even worse. We are not assigning blame in this tragedy beyond the actual shooter. But that doesn’t excuse the intemperate and irresponsible volleys lobbed back and forth.

Fear is a typical tool to prod people into action, but now it’s become a way to paint the opposition as a permanent enemy.

It’s one thing to say that health care reform is a bad idea. It’s quite another to announce that it is the first step to a totalitarian takeover of government and that its proponents are latter-day Stalins. It’s one thing to say a war is misguided. It’s quite another to say that it is the first step toward fascist aims of global domination.

As an editorial board, we routinely meet with politicians, and we can report that most are well-meaning individuals who want to serve the community. Some may deserve opprobrium for their ideas, but few match the nasty cartoon portraits drawn by their opponents or the community’s cynics. If you met them, you might even like them.

When pondering the rhetoric, it’s a wonder that power goes back and forth in this country without shots being fired. It doesn’t take courage to snipe anonymously on the Internet or through e-mail. It does take courage to attend public events in the face of faceless threats, or to run for office in the first place.

Many Democrats say that Republican or tea party rhetoric is to blame for the Tucson shootings, but rather than being helpful, speculation widens the political divide. The suspect has yet to speak up. Guessing his motive isn’t helpful. Everyone ought to hold their powder.

We sympathize with Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. He knows some of the victims. He is certainly correct when he says that political discourse has eroded, especially in Arizona, which is at the epicenter of the nation’s ugly immigration debate. But at this time, he does not know what motivated the shooter.

This tragedy could touch off many productive debates. What are we doing about the mentally ill? Are gun laws in some states appropriate? And, finally, can we use this moment to reintroduce the idea of respecting opponents while attacking their ideas?

Yes we can, but first we need to calm down.