Violent political rhetoric and violent entertainment.

With recent events in Arizona and some blaming Sarah Palin and other politicians for using violent phrases and speech in slogfests at eachother. Do you believe it can affect people enough to make them flip out like the shooter did and commit mass murder?

If violent political rhetoric should be toned down how do you feel about entertainment? (TV, movies, video games etc) Surely some things we see on TV most days is far worse than anything a politician can do or say?

I'm not defending or condemning Palin or any other politician and I don't want this thread to turn into a left/right bashing thread. Just discuss the differences between political violent rhetoric and violence anyone can experience everyday by other means.

I think with political violent rehetorics...the targets and reasons why are very clear and that is why it is much more scarier. Also..the targets and reasons are real.

Not to mention, politicians uphold certain views and beliefs and are in-effect a representation of YOU - directly. The link is much more clearer and much tied directly to you because it is based on reality and your personal views.



TV - Movies etc., on the other hand are based on imaginary things. The direct links are often blurred and can be applied to many different types of people and things. It's also clearly made to show fantasy, non-reality, or the situations presented have a predefined action that you are already expecting.

There is a buffer in TVland and I think most people have been sensitized to TV and other media to distinguish between reality vs. non-realty.

Yes...I get the columbine thing etc and its not always the case, but in a political setting, everything is real, everything is real time, everything is "if you don't do this now, you WILL pay for it later."

Oh...so, do I think political rehetorics should be tone down. Yes.

I don't want any politician to use any viloent terms because that is not representative to who I am and my belifes.

Movies and other things. NO, I don't think it should be toned down but should be clearly labeled aka (PG-G, PG-13, PG-14) etc. Which it is.

Are normal people affected by the crazy talk of people like Beck and Palin? No.. absolutely not.
Are crazy people affected by it? quite possibly..
Was this current crazy person affected by it? not sure.

Should it be toned down, or scaled back? absolutely not..

This shooting has done more to discredit the tea party than anything anyone could have said over the next two years about how crazy and nasty and bitter and angry they are..

And nobody has to say a word, because it's nestled neatly in the back of every single voters mind now.. that little smidgen of doubt about whether they're safe with people like the tea party ralliers around..

and it will affect the way they vote.

And the tea party knows that if they talk about how it had NOTHING to do with them.. that the link between crazy people shooting civil servants in the head and them will only grow stronger.. so there's nothing they can do.

I get your point. But you have to think that there are some settings where certain words are inappropriate and to me government is one of them.

If you make it free for all, whats stopping me from going to my job and asking my boss something like: "what the f*** did you want me to do again?"

There is a time and place and I'm not convinced that words that are clearly calling for violence belong in government.

My boss and I talk to each other like that all the time..

Political rhetoric should be toned down. In no way whatsoever does it serve the public interest.

ALthough I will give you this Boxie. The hidden agenda of a politicain can be hidden if the words are toned down.

But, I think, most people with sense can read between the lines and also know more about that politician than the silly words coming out of their mouth.

Like you said, do most people fall Palin etc propaganda. The answer is no.

You being your own boss and talking to yourself doesn't count!

No.. really.. I do have a boss. I was Navy, and he was a Marine.. so I constantly remind him that while he might be the one that has to go and fight the fight, I'm the one who gets him there, and if he's not careful, I'll make sure that he gets seasick on the way.

And we frequently refer to employees with delightful terms like.. "So and so is a f***ing waste of oxygen".. or "I'd like to see that fat f***er manage that"..

Of course it helps that I work in a field that is nearly all male, and that nearly all of us have either military or prison backgrounds.

A nut is a nut, and will do whatever it is they are planning regardless.
Nobody but the shooter himself can be blamed for this tragedy; Although I'm sure, in his (and others like his) sick mental state, hearing such talk just compounds their irrational thinking.
But that is the difference between normal, and not; A normal person would never 'act' on those feelings.