Yesterday, a man entered the district office of U.S. Representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia. The man was carrying a baseball bat and said he wanted to see Representative Connolly, who was not in the office at the time. So, the man used the baseball bat on two staffers, both of whom are now in the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The man is in police custody.
I do not know what his beef is with Representative Connolly, nor do I really care, but what I do know is that violence is NOT the solution to problems! Period. Apparently, the man has spent so much time in the dark world of conspiracy theories that he no longer thinks like a human being. The man, 49-year-old Xuan Kha Tran Pham, filed a lawsuit against the CIA last year in which he claimed the agency had been “wrongfully imprisoning [him] in a lower perspective based on physics,” and alleging that he is being “brutally tortured… from the fourth dimension.” The complaint, which seeks $29 million in damages, aligns with the beliefs of conspiracy theorists who claim they are being “gangstalked,” or secretly watched and psychologically tortured using nonexistent technology.
Think back to last October … remember when Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was viciously attacked in their California home? And these, while the worst of the incidents so far, are not the only ones. According to PBS Newshour …
Since the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, threats to lawmakers and their families have increased sharply. The U.S. Capitol Police investigated around 7,500 cases of potential threats against members of Congress in 2022. The year before, they investigated around 10,000 threats to members, more than twice the number from four years earlier.
Why??? Why does it increasingly seem that people are turning to violent methods as a way of solving their problems? Note that I am not a sociologist nor a psychologist, so my answer is based only on common sense and what I see happening in this country, but it seems to me that most of the blame lies with politicians who condone violence. When thousands of rioters, many with guns, break into the United States Capitol, breaking windows, crapping on the floors, destroying offices and other property, brutally beating police officers, calling for the Vice President and Speaker of the House, saying they are going to lynch them, and then the politicians refer to the violence as “legitimate political discourse”, it opens a door to further violence. When the rioters are referred to as “peaceful tourists”, it opens another door. And when a presidential candidate says he will pardon all of their sentences on “day #1” if he is elected, it speaks volumes that this is somehow ‘okay’.
The majority of us have enough intelligence to understand that no, this is definitely NOT okay, but all it takes is a handful of people without much intelligence or common sense, with a bone to pick, a grievance, real or imagined, against one of more members of Congress, and … you’ve got a problem. Well, folks, we’ve got a problem and a serious one at that. Remember Pizzagate? All it takes is a germ of an idea in the head of someone like Edgar Maddison Welch or Xuan Kha Tran Pham or David DePape, and a gun or a baseball bat or a hammer in their hand, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
In addition to the politicians who have encouraged and incited violence by downplaying such events as the January 6th attempted coup and other violent events, I blame the right-wing conspiratorial media like Fox ‘News’, OANN, NewsMax, and more, for telling lies, for riling the masses. As I’ve said a few thousand times before, every right comes with an associated responsibility, and much of the media these days claim their right to freedom of the press, without accepting the responsibility to report accurately while engaging in conspiracies and lies.
I have serious disagreements with my own representative, Warren Davidson, but in no way would I consider using violence to make my point, or to harm him. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, so I confine my protestations of his policies to emails and letters, but sadly some people do not know how to use the pen, only the sword. Where are we headed, people? How do we fix this? And how do we hold accountable those who have helped create this culture of violence?
Filosofa's Word 
Jill, quite simply we need leaders to stand up and condemn this kind of behavior. The message should be simple – this is not right and it is criminal. Those who do this should be punished to the full extent of the law. It matters not what party the person belonged to or what derelict politician incited the behavior. This is also why politicians who incite this kind of behavior need to be held to account. We should expect more from our leaders as we certainly deserve it. Full stop.
Keith
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You know I fully agree with you, Keith. It seems that when we basically allowed one ‘man’ sitting in the Oval Office to be declared by his Attorney General to be “above the law”, it opened a number of doors for others. And then, when the Republican Party declared the violence on January 6, 2021, to be “Legitimate Political Discourse” … that opened even more doors. When the J6 rioters were called “heroes” and “patriots”, I think it gave rise to some of the violence we are seeing today … it was rather an affirmation that violence in the name of a certain cause is “heroic”. Or patriotic. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr …
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I totally agree with you, there is no excuse for violence, none, whether one is protesting a politician or an unjust murder of a minority by a police officer, violences in no way acceptable, no matter what the protest.
Yet it seems that the mainstream media gives certain people in this country a pass on being violent and that is the pinnacle of hypocrisy on their part.
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No, there is no reason nor excuse for using violence to try to resolve problems. Our gun culture, coupled with the great socio-political divide in this nation, is a recipe for disaster.
Who, specifically, is the mainstream media giving a “pass on being violent”? Clarify, please?
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Violence is never the solution when even some still don’t get that. It is the expression of helplessness when someone is not in control of themselves.
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Agreed, and it never solves anything, but rather usually leads to even more violence.
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Absolutely! Agression causes more agression!
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…some people do not know how to use the pen, only the sword — Many may not use the pen, but they most certainly use the word … via such sources as Faux News, social media (e.g “Truth Social”), OAN, Breitbart, Infowars, etc., etc. etc.
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Very true … they spew words of hate that incite the violence we’re seeing today. And they do so under the guise of the 1st Amendment.
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I strongly agree with your assertions, Jill: the fault lies largely with the Republican radicals—not conservatives—who give violence affirmation when they should be giving strong condemnation. And yes, the right wing so-called press that spews falsehoods and generates fear among unstable people like the man who struck Rep Connelly’s staffers.
I hope everyone saw clips of President Biden’s commencement speech at Howard U: it was a powerful attack on white nationalism and white supremacy. I look to him to use the bully pulpit more, though he is walking a fine line as he leads this fractious country where his steady hand must also be apparent.
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Agreed! I am appalled to hear Republicans praising the white man who killed a Black man on the subway last week … they’re calling him a “hero” and started a GoFundMe that has already raised $2 million!!! This is NOT who we are meant to be!!! This is not who I am and I don’t want to share space on earth with people who praise violence and vilify the peaceful!
I did not, but will go looking for the clips soon … did you post them in a post that I missed? President Biden came into a tough job that has gotten even tougher over the past two years, and from where I stand he’s done a great job!
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I’m so sick and tired of the violence that has increased 50% since 2017. What happened between now and 2017? Trump.
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Yep, Trump. BUT … he is but a symptom of a problem that was simmering all along … he just gave the bigots permission to come out from under their rocks of pretend civility, told ’em it’s okay to be nasty, to be racist, to hate on women, and all the rest. The sentiments were there long before Trump came along, and I fear will remain long after he is gone. Sigh.
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These old goats have always hated women and want to keep us in our place knowing we would a much better job ( look at Madeleine Albright). which we would. I think these racist could not bear having a black president and lost all sense of propriety or respect for the constitution which is why Trump fought his candidacy tooth and mail with birther lies, etc. it’s on him and the Maga Morons. God help us if Fascist DeSantis get in the White House. He’s ruining Florida.
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You are so right … they have long feared that we would be the ones to get the promotions and the better jobs because we’ve long known we have to work harder and be better. But not only that … many still believe that it’s “god’s will” for women to be the homemakers and child bearers/carers, and that women have no place outside the home. Cook the meals, clean the house, birth the babies … know your place. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr … You mention Madeleine Albright … she was indeed a role model for us all!!! Like you, I have often said that the Trump years and the current shove by Republicans began as a pushback for having elected a Black president not once, but twice! The “great replacement theory” they spew? Yet another of their fear-laden conspiracies based on the fact that the nation at one point awakened to the fact that there is no intellectual or other form of difference between people of different skin colours. They still believe that ‘white’ is ‘supreme’, hence the surge in white supremacy, or as they call themselves, white nationalists. The thing about DeSantis is that he is putting Florida on a path of destruction, economic, educational, and environmental, so why don’t people see this? Why did they elect him last year? Why aren’t they protesting in droves? Sigh. He simply cannot bring his racist, bigoted policies to all 50 states, but then, we cannot afford another Trump term, either, for either one would be the end of the democratic foundations of this nation.
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Absolutely nailed it. Florida is a state of retirees and Latinos migrated from Cuba , DeSantis has catered to the wealthy Republican elderly, often visiting The Villages, the richest over 50 community in Florida, making sure they are well kept. The Latinos cannot separate the idea of socialism in Cuba and elsewhere from Castros regime and are nearly 100% Republican voters. Our fate is in the hands of the younger generation, I hope they will show up. Latin truckers are threatening to boycott Florida, if they carry through we will suffer tremendous shortages. His fascist handling of Disney World over a freedom of speech issue is a clear sign of his lack of reasoning, the employer of 75000 people and largest taxpayer in central Florida and perhaps the entire state , yet he persists obsessively. He is a racist and a fascist no doubt. He is full of hatred for immigrants and women. I’m disappointed in Biden, disgusted with our DOJ ( Biden has some responsibility over that) and fearful of our politicized corrupt SCOTUS. If we were Maga we would be out in the street and we should be. Where is our outrage?
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Fear is, unfortunately, a great motivator, and Republicans figured this out early on and they use it as a tool to control and manipulate. The better educated a person is, the more likely they are to resist the fear-mongering, but sadly there are far too many in this country who have not had the benefit of education. I’m always puzzled when I see women cheering for Donald Trump, a man who has been credibly accused of sexual abuse by more than 20 women! And a man who is anti-abortion, who brags about nominating the justices who overturned Roe v Wade. It’s almost as if these women honestly believe they should be men’s servants! I did see that the Latino truckers are threatening not to deliver to Florida … yet another way in which DeSantis is shooting himself in the foot, bringing about the economic destruction of his state. His fight with Disney … just makes no sense at all, since Disney is the single biggest employer and tourist attraction in a state that relies on tourism for its very survival! I’m okay with Biden, for he has accomplished a lot, if you consider the constant roadblocks that have been thrown in his path. I have questions about why Merrick Garland is taking so long to prosecute Trump on the two charges that could actually remove him from the 2024 ballot, but I keep hoping there is a master plan at work behind the scenes. Sigh. You’re right, though … the Democrats are too polite, too quiet … we need to start demanding justice, need to be more vocal!!!
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Well said. I wholeheartedly agree.
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“violence is NOT the solution to problems! Period.”
Amen, sister!
But plz allow me one question: Why tf are you supporting Joe Biden and his confrontational pro-war bollocktics against Russia and China? Saying war isn’t the solution is one thing – acting accordingly is obvlsy another thing for you. 😦
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I’m not sure why you think Biden is “pro-war” for he isn’t. However, he’s also about helping defend our allies against an invader. Question for you: If you knew your neighbors, parents of a newborn baby, were asleep in their house and you saw someone getting ready to light their house afire, would you try to stop it?
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My suggestion is of no use to you Jill and the vast majority of your followers who hold to far nobler outlooks than I
Anyway in a nation filled with firearms, a strong following of Qannon, many cultures, five times zones, it’s filled with its own risks.
(I’ve already gifted rawgod a ‘copy’ of Yates’ poem ‘The Second Coming’).
‘The centre cannot hold’
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I so hope you are wrong, but very much fear you are right. Sigh.
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Leaving out my grim and harsh alternative it seems what the USA needs now is a political version of this character:
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Hmmmm … maybe, if somebody didn’t shoot him first.
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😢
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First of all, you need a government that does not sit on its ass and allow these things to happen. For all the good he has done, Joe Biden has not taken serious action against gun violence. He is not defending women’s right to control their own bodies. He is not defending the kind of educatoon real people need to be able to make sense of this world. He is not asserting every citizen’s right to vote. And he is doing nothing to defend people who live lifestyles different from the mainstream. And, he has taken no positive action to charge one Donald J. Trump for inciting a riot or treason against the United States of Ametica. These, and real action on climate disasters, are the key causes of the right committing violence on those they don’t like.
Joe Biden is not the only person responsible for not taking action where decisive action is more than required, but as the figurehead of American government it is up to him to be a leader. On these things Biden must act, or allow someone who will to take charge!
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I disagree. Biden is not a showy person like Trump and many of the “noisy” Repukes … but he has most definitely stated his feelings related to several of the issues you mentioned … and he has taken action on many of them. It’s just that he doesn’t get the press coverage that Trump and his cohorts do .
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For me, his actions are inadeqate. He is a politician, whereas the USA njeeds a worldsaver. Ea h to their own,
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What, exactly, would you have him do, rg? Ban assault weapons? How? He cannot issue an executive order for that, so what would you have him do? You’re expecting too much.
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He needs to change the laws. Trump igmored the laws, and exposed weaknesses. Biden, or whomever, needs to take advantage of those weaknesses, and in so doing make it possible to accomplish saving democracy for regular Americans.
No, I don’t know how American government works, it is a mystery to me. But obviously if the President cannot untangle the ropes that are preventing him from acting for We the People, something has gone drastically wrong.
Don’t take my words personally, Jill, they are intended for all Americsns who care about their freedoms. You all need to work together, or everyone loses!
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rg … I know you understand our system pretty well, so you KNOW he cannot simply change the laws, rewrite the Constitution. I don’t take your words personally … no worries. But please understand that Biden cannot change the laws in this nation anymore than your male cat can give birth to a litter of kittens! It won’t work.
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Then something HAS TO CHANGE! The USA is in deep shit right now. You are barely hanging on to a democracy that is under Republucan hold! States are passing laws that cannot be tolerated by decent peopl Why do they get to do that while the Feds ate handcuffed from preventing them from doing that. I understand you are under legislative constraints, but they did not constrain Trump from doing all kinds of nasty things. If he could do that, SO CAN BIDEN!
Someone has to find a way to make it work. Othetwise I will be saying good-bye to all my American friends, and I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT!
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No, I do not want you to say ‘goodbye’ to us, either.
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The Constitution calls for three separate branches of government to serve as ‘checks and balances’ on one another. For this reason, there are strict limits to what President Biden can or cannot do without the consent and agreement of Congress, which he obviously does not have and cannot often get. Look how much trouble he’s having just trying to get “permission” from Congress to pay the bills we’ve already incurred! So no, you cannot criticize Biden and say he’s “sitting on his ass”, for he has accomplished much in his two years in office, but there are things he cannot do alone, and those who should be stepping up to the plate, are not, namely Republicans in Congress.
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you talk about Biden like he’s the next messiah, how seriously can your credibility about this man be when it’s clear that you actually believe that he can do nothing wrong, ever.
I seem to remember when “the former guy” was in office, you complained a lot about him not doing enough for some of these same issues, yet you give bumbling biden a pass.
you are simply a hypocrite, that’s all and if you don’t like it, too bad. I call them as I see it and if you can’t take the criticism and at least take the time to get a bit of perspective, my question would be, why do you have this blog in the first place, save to have your nice cozy echo chamber.
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Scott … a few months ago you said you were fed up and done reading my blog. You stuck by that for a little while, but now you’re back to reading and being hyper-critical of almost everything I say. This is the end of the road. I cannot stop you from reading my posts, but I would prefer it if you didn’t, since obviously almost everything I see makes you angry. But, I can stop you from commenting and that I will do as of now. I do welcome opposing opinions, but not name-calling and not lies, or hatred. You seem filled with an abundance of both, and I still believe, as I said some time ago, that you have some problems you need to be working through instead of trolling me. This is your last comment on Filosofa’s Word … ever. Goodbye, Scott … I wish you the best that life has to offer.
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Sorry, Jill, but yes I can. If you are going to save democracy, you need to change it. The US government is so tied up in knots it needs a leader who is willing to cut through red tape. If Biden is wearing handcuffs, it’s already too late for him.
I have respect for him, Jill, he is trying. But trying is not good enough — he must accomplish, or give way.
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Sigh. I don’t think you’re understanding, rg. Biden CANNOT make the changes you’re suggesting. The Constitution prevents him, ties his hands, limits his power. He does not have the power to do so. Full stop. He CAN’T!!!! It’s not that he wouldn’t or that he is scared to … it’s that he simply cannot do it.
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Someone MUST!
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So, the people in the U.S. is now, using their fists, and not their, words, to, communicate, to talk out their, differences, and, turning one of the world’s, “more advanced” countries, backwards in time, before language had been invented, and we can, only, use our fists, to, show how upset we are, of, one another? And, if that’s happened in one of the, most democratic, countries in the world, imagine what it would be like, in the, third wotld, countries on the planet right now…
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Yep, sometimes fists or a baseball bat, but most often they are using guns, and with over 400 million of them in the country, they aren’t exactly hard to come by. Sometimes I actually think third-world countries may be more peaceful in some ways than the U.S.!
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That is, the downside to, democracy, I guess, as everyone believes, that s/he has the rights to, “freely express” oneself, even if, it’s, with the, violent, means, they think they are protected, under the most, basic rights of, “freedom of expression” there…
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Freedom to say what you think is one thing, but NOBODY has the right or “freedom” to harm another person physically. We really need to grow out of our caveman mentality! Sigh.
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