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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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Editorial: Politicians must take the lead on civil discourse

“Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” – Anne Lamott

We could use a collective cleansing in this country. Political grudges are held tight. Forgiveness is considered weakness. “Snowflake” is the new term dropped on people who need to “grow a pair.” This rhetorical trench warfare is waged daily, on the internet, on Twitter, through email and at town halls.

Then shots are fired.

This time one of the victims was a Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana. Last time, it was a Democrat, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona. The assailants turned political rage into violence.

Few members of Congress, regardless of party, could talk about Wednesday’s assault without tearing up or breaking down.

Snowflakes? No, human beings. Fellow Americans.

“Holding hands and praying together, I haven’t seen a moment like that since I’ve been here,” said Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz. “So perhaps this can serve, even though it was intended for evil, it can serve as a wake-up call for all of us to think about how we’re vilifying and engaging with people who disagree with us.”

To do that the nation needs a fresh start, a giant reset. Forget who started what. Set aside the score-keeping and the grudges. In the quest to win the daily battles by demonizing opponents, the big challenges can’t be solved. Health care, sane budgeting, entitlement reform and climate change are just some of the issues that are the victims of a gridlock formed by grudges.

Political discourse these days is vile. Civility in short supply. This toxic combination, this rat poison, is gnawing away at our political institutions. It hasn’t happened overnight, but the foundation may not be able to withstand the toxins for much longer.

It doesn’t help that people have grown more intolerant by dipping into different wells for the “facts.” And, as former Rep. George Nethercutt pointed out, many people don’t know history or the inner workings of government. From there, they get frustrated and resort to uninformed outbursts.

Members of Congress have retreated to their caucuses. They don’t get to know the other side as well as they used to. They spend three days a week in Washington, D.C., and then fly out. That makes it more difficult to form bonds. That makes it easier to vilify.

Congress should return to regular order, and we don’t just mean the traditional process of crafting bills, holding hearings and having debates, though that would be a great start. It needs to be acceptable for a Democrat and a Republican to have dinner, work on a bill and get to know each other’s families. Tragedy, such as the assault at the baseball field, can only bring the parties together for so long. If 9/11 couldn’t do it, this won’t either.

So after “thoughts and prayers” and condemnations of violence, members of Congress must enact systemic changes for long-lasting harmony. We need a truce, and then a return to normalcy.

Our nation’s leaders can set the example by showing respect for each other every day, not just when tragedy strikes.