Death threats and public order

17. March 2011 |(12) comments

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"We know where you live." "We are going to add a bullet for your head." "You have killed your family." "We have a plugin that woman!"

The first three was to send an e-mail message, the Republican lawmakers when they voted for in Wisconsin's controversial budget repair bill of materials (BOM). The last was directed at my wife a few years ago in the blog.

What they have in common is the title of the exhibition were the results of taking the Madison. The bottom layer, which was so "evil" in somebody's mind that killing or at least threatened, in so doing, it was fully justified.

We all know the feelings of their legislators and voice was hard. But what my wife what offences, which was so bad that it caused the assassin to give him a virtual blog to death.

He is a doctor who testified of the Wisconsin n conscience clause that protects health care professionals, who may not be selected, not the procedures which they believe are immoral or Unethical and against repeal. Had he only testified, he is likely to have disappeared into oblivion in the public record of the year.

Prevention Magazine, ABC News and the BBC were fascinated by his stand and became his Office months relating to the "Madison expand the following pair. In his testimony that survive the public, and it is what sets the bloggers. Fortunately, only legislators case, it proved to be only for the gab. No one showed the House to carry out the threat. We are all safe and sound.

But it does not mean that everything turned out Okay. Through it, I have a doubt that the legislators of both parties are wondering, "what about next time?" Remains, according to the anonymous cowards harmless rants on the Internet, or someone actually decides?

If the controversial question is up to, for example, who is married to the Wisconsin women's health, or which constitutes the maintenance of our voting representatives of the votes cast, or they think, "I don't need this. I have my family to think of the "security settings, and then run off to hide in Illinois until the problem disappears? Tough questions, even after this, no longer opens? Why bother to try to make things better, if someone will want to kill you?

I think that we should not be surprised. Civility policy has long been lost. On each side carrying gas cans and matches from the fire, accusing the other side. Washington, Madison, as well as the people are so busy shouting do not hear. That the atmosphere might be, we should expect the threats is the next step.

Regardless of where we are, on the side of the time of the suspension and the command. It is the Government's return to civilian, give-and-take time. And it's time to make it clear that we never allow death threats to dictate public policy.