Disturbingly Mixed

A gunman opened fire during a baseball practice today, the team practicing was composed of congressional Republicans preparing for the traditional summer ball game between parties. Details aren't the clearest at the moment but we know no one died except possibly the shooter himself, several were injured including Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who will be fine probably.

The shooter appears to have been a Sanders volunteer during the primary, is white, and that is basically all we know at the moment.

This is one of several mass shootings we have had in the last few weeks, and one of two that happened today, but somehow we are supposed to care about this one because it targeted government officials.

Want to hear my first reaction? It is the reason for the post title. When I heard about it first I was disappointed that we wouldn't be seeing a number of special elections to fill vacant House seats.

I am not proud of that nor am I precisely supportive of the shooter or the idea that we should kill those who hold opposing views to our own. But I can't say I am precisely ashamed either. These people... it's hard not to see them as the enemy, and honestly it is inaccurate to even try, the are people and a party who's decisions quite literally cost lives, and the people making those decisions celebrate it when they do. Remember when the AHCA was passed the Republicans literally cheered. A decision that could mean lingering painful death and bankruptcy for literally millions was cheered. They have spent no end of effort undoing environmental regulations, financial protections, and equal rights acts while ignoring and in some cases celebrating the harm they would be doing to people as they did so. Their insistence on unregulated firearm purchases may have directly contributed to today's shooting and I can't find it in me to regret seeing some of them meet consequences of their actions.

It is hard for me to cheer the death of another no matter who they are, but when I heard about Osama Bin Laden being killed there was a sense of satisfaction there, the same for Kim Jong Il. I think about Scalise and his ilk in a similar way. As enemies. And don't get me wrong, they are absolutely that. Anyone who supports the cause of equality in America should see that. If they would be first up against the wall when the revolution comes, why should we be upset at their suffering before then?


Watch what happens next, I guarantee that it won't be a push for sensible gun legislation or mental health care or transparency in government. Bet we see higher security and coincidentally a lot more restrictions on press access to our politicians too. Maybe some expanded surveillance powers for our domestic intelligence agencies.

Which is I guess my main objection to the shooters plan, at best it wasn't going to do enough, but at any level it was going to end up harming the cause he theoretically supported. Assassination, or terrorism, doesn't work if your intention is to oppose oppression and support freedom or equality. At least, not on that scale.