In which Krugman calls on the Republican Party to make political discourse "less toxic":
Not because hateful talk will drive the mentally ill to criminal acts, but because civility is a good in its own right."Ĭlimate of Hate, by Paul Krugman "That said, all of us have an obligation to speak with truth and charity in making our political arguments. Why do (former Alaska governor Sarah) Palin's critics think we say 'campaign' or 'rank-and-file'? We all use language of this sort, and no one ever before has thought it constitutes incitement. "Martial imagery has been central to American politics for more than a century. In which the editors accuse "ghoulish opportunists on the Left" of appropriating Saturday's shooting for political advantage: She's shown not just willingness, but courage to engage with people who don't agree with her." … But Giffords has never let vitriol deter her from public service. "There's been a lot of violent language - and some threatening behavior - surrounding political issues in this country over the last few years. In which the editors of Gabrielle Giffords's local paper call for prayers for "the innocents killed": Journalists and media personalities on both ends of the political spectrum have been weighing in on whether vitriol may have motivated accused gunman Jared Loughner, 22, to try to assassinate Giffords.īelow is a sample of some journalists' opinions. The shooting of Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona on Saturday at the hands of a seemingly deranged gunman has ignited a wide-ranging discussion about the heated tone of U.S. Topic: The press and the Gifford shooting