Note: My original title contained a reference to today's events as a modern-day Holocaust. While tragic and reprehensible, the community's voice has prevailed that this was a step too far. Forgive me--I'm angry, and sad.
What is occurring in Arizona is a modern-day tragedy. I offer the following:
- The scapegoating of an entire race. Arizona's so-called "immigration" law is nothing of the kind. It is an attempt to codify separate and unequal treatment of people solely based on race. There is no denying that the right wing in AZ has sought to blame Hispanics for a host of ills. Crime, economic injury, "freeloaders" living high on the hog by taking--or "stealing"--government benefits meant for citizens (i.e.; "real Americans"). Never mind that there are plenty of native born Hispanics that are citizens of Arizona, or that their histories pre-date most (if not all) of those caucasians that seem to think they have a divine right to residency.
- The condoning of the deaths of innocents through denial of proper medical care in the name of government purity. The reprehensible, and unnecessary, deaths of those on Arizona's transplant list were willingly justified by the Arizona GOP as not only an acceptable consequence of "fiscally responsible government," but not even as a particularly troubling one. This is not simply a case of misguided priorities or unintended consequences. This is an act of genuine evil. Gov. Brewer, and her GOP legislative allies, should be called no less. The deaths of two--and likely many more--citizens that are easily preventable stand as damning evidence of deliberate evil in the name of a political philosophy.
- The murder and attempted murder of political figures based on views the governing party disagrees with. It is clear that Saturday's events are in deed, if not name, an example of the "second amendment remedies" called for specifically by GOP political figures. It is clear to me that the shooting was clearly political in its motivation and was no random act of violence. The effect of intimidation on all who disagree with the far-right persuasion is an intended consequence of today's attack--one I fear will not be the last.
This has been a horrible day for our country. Yet even more so, I believe that many on the right will see it simply as politics by other means.