Saturday, August 16, 2008

Does Conservative Rhetoric Drive Violent Behavior?

Liberals have been the targets of recent deadly shootings in Arkansas and Tennessee. And that has caused a number of folks in the blogosphere to ask: Is extreme rhetoric from conservative commentators driving some of their followers to act in violent ways?

In Tennessee, a man named Jim David Adkisson, who apparently was depressed and out of a job, targeted a Unitarian Church that was known for its liberal leanings.

In Arkansas, a man entered the state Democratic Party headquarters and shot and killed chairman Bill Gwatney. Evidence suggests the killer specifically targeted Gwatney.

Is political rhetoric out of control? Should liberals be concerned about possible violence or other wrongdoing at the hands of conservatives?

Glynn Wilson, at Locust Fork World News & Journal, has an incisive look at those questions, including a look at a number of news reports and opinion pieces from around the country.

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