Just emphasizing the comment that increasing violence, and threats of violence, against lawmakers and judges is a symptom of a much bigger problem. And that problem is the increasing intolerance of the basic intolerance of the two sides of the American political system for each other.
I read a recent article that basically traced the decline of the American political system to Newt Gingrich. It occurred to me that what was also happening at the same time was the rise of Rush Limbaugh (mentioned in the article, along with other culprits). Backgrounding to that was also the rise of Fox News (which is also mentioned in that article). Put all together, and then using the Clinton administration as its stalking horse, the political system changed drastically, from compromise and negotiation and the realization that you can't always get all that you want, but if you try, you can get what you need (catchy) to one much more consisting of my way or the highway, and your way is evil, dangerous, and unpatriotic.
Yeah ... and all of that is on the GOP and the right wing. And it's not getting better. What it will take is a grand repudiation; and now I can sense its possibility, because the Dobbs decision by the SCOTUS has motivated a lot of previously unmotivated people to get out and vote. If the tricks and traps set up by the GOP regarding voting and elections can be overcome, we might have a chance at a watershed. But it's going to be a close thing.
It's hard to stay civil when the other side has abandoned civility. So we have to hope that their trajectory can somehow be brought to Earth.
Hard. In a flash and a crash, and leaving a big smoking crater.
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