No “buts”

A dKos diarist… all I can do is quote and add a “me, too”.

There’s mounting evidence that this was a politically motivated murder, and I’d like to come right out and, for whatever it’s worth, say I condemn Drake’s actions.

There is no “But.”

I flat out condemn these actions. Killing somebody with whom you have political or idealogical disagreements plumbs the deepest depths of repugnant. I’m disgusted and horrified that somebody with whom I probably shared an equal disdain for the victim’s actions actually took it upon himself to silence the victim permanently.

Have I ever advocated violence against people I disagree with?

You know…I believe I have.

In the heat of the moment I’ve rattled off some off the cuff comments about smacking somebody I disagree with. Sometimes I like to talk big and be an asshole. It was probably done in a snarky way, intended to be humorous. But dammit, there’s no excuse for it. And if any of my comments, or if any of the off the cuff comments from the Left in any way contributed to Drake’s notions that he was remotely justified in violently taking this man’s life…that’s something we should really reflect on. I know I’m going to.

Four months ago Dr. George Tiller was murdered in a church by an anti-abortion zealot. Yesterday an anti-abortion protester was killed by Drake in front of a school. My personal opinion is that these actions are equally horrific, and equally unforgiveable. The tenor of political discussion is taking on a dangerous quality and people are getting killed. The Us against Them mentality seems to get more deeply ingrained by the day. I, for one, intend to dial my own rhetoric back a few notches.

I don’t feel it’s going to do any good to suggest Drake isn’t One of Us. That he’s not ours. Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. But insomuch as I had a shared disdain for the victim’s actions, and insomuch as his actions in the eyes of those who sided with his victim are politically motivated…I feel compelled to condemn the actions as politically motivated.

I sat on this yesterday because I had yet to learn the motive for this murder. Today, something needs to be said. Same goes for this.