It seems to me that analyzing the situation based on limited data and within a short period of time is just as bad as the inflammatory rhetoric that you mention. This is the sort of response that, on September 11th caused much of a nation to rise up against Muslims. Kneejerk reactions seldom seem to be in a group's best interest. Painting either side with a wide brush just serves to increase the isolation between them.
Violent rhetoric makes me uncomfortable, but it is protected as free speech and I think that the benefits of free speech outweigh the drawbacks... even when the drawback is the occasional crazy person hurting or killing others. I also believe in the principle of "innocent until proven guilty", and while I dislike violent rhetoric, I have yet to see the hate-spewers proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fundamentally, you and I disagree as to whether or not intent matters, so I'm not surprised to find us taking different perspectives of this incident.
I do think that this was politically-motivated, and that it was likely inflamed by violent rhetoric... but I think it's a far cry from the beginning of an armed revolt within the US. I believe that that would look extremely different from what we're seeing.
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Date: 2011-01-08 10:50 pm (UTC)Violent rhetoric makes me uncomfortable, but it is protected as free speech and I think that the benefits of free speech outweigh the drawbacks... even when the drawback is the occasional crazy person hurting or killing others. I also believe in the principle of "innocent until proven guilty", and while I dislike violent rhetoric, I have yet to see the hate-spewers proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fundamentally, you and I disagree as to whether or not intent matters, so I'm not surprised to find us taking different perspectives of this incident.
I do think that this was politically-motivated, and that it was likely inflamed by violent rhetoric... but I think it's a far cry from the beginning of an armed revolt within the US. I believe that that would look extremely different from what we're seeing.