Civil discourse ‘off-track’ in U.S.
Danger likely to escalate as rhetoric becomes more violent, expert warns
WASHINGTON — Political leaders, experts and media executives called the apparent coordinated delivery of explosive devices targeting CNN and prominent Democratic figures — all frequent subjects of division by President Trump — a wake-up call to end divisive political discourse before it leads to tragedy.
They stopped short of directly blaming Trump’s swipes at political opponents for the crude pipe bombs that were intercepted en route to the homes and offices of former President Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maxine Waters, investor and Democratic donor George Soros and former CIA Director John Brennan via CNN’s Manhattan offices.
But, they said, in an environment of heated and sometimes violent rhetoric toward political opponents, the danger is likely to escalate.
“When you talk about your opponents as evil and unpatriotic, that they hate the county, that they are enemies of the people — even when you are doing that to get people to vote — that is a message that can make people believe they can turn to violence,” said David Schanzer, Duke University professor and director of the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. “It’s very dangerous.”
Trump condemned the attempted attacks in comments at the White House.
“In these times, we have to unify,” Trump said. “We have to come together, and send one very clear and strong message that acts of threats or political violence have no place in the United States of America.”
But CNN President Jeff Zucker, in a statement yesterday, decried the “total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media.”
At rallies on the campaign trail Trump has repeatedly labeled the press the “enemy of the people,” joked about a reporter being bodyslammed, and taken jabs at Hillary Clinton that draw “lock her up!” chants from the crowds.
The pipe bombs “are a clear sign that our civil discourse is so off-track that it is becoming a national security threat,” said Caro- lyn Lukensmeyer of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, a group formed after the 2011 shooting of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and whose members include former Sens. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine).