Violence erupts after critical vote

Violence has erupted after a critical parliamentary vote in a country very close to home. Several legislators have received death threats, verbal abuse via telephone, as well as damage to personal and professional property. One even had propane lines in their home cut by vandals. The website of a popular politician who opposes the result of the vote makes allusion to killing particular legislators, and one influential blogger has called for the assassination of the country’s president.


Any ideas which country this might be? Haiti? Venezuela? Honduras?

Think again. It’s right here in the United States.

Several members of Congress have received death threats to their Capitol Hill and District offices, spurring investigation by both Capitol Hill police and the FBI. In total, more than 10 members of Congress will get beefed up security in the coming days. Democratic offices in Kansas and New York have been vandalized as well. In addition, the brother of a Virginia congressman had the lines to his propane tanks cut when vandals mistook the house to be that of the actual congressman. Sarah Palin’s popular Facebook page shows 17 congressional districts in cross-hairs, with further allusions that we should “take them out”. Popular conservative blogger Solly Forell even tweeted for the assassination of President Obama following the health care vote.

I want to hear reader’s views on this before I put out my own. How are these actions and those of the new tea party movement in general, influencing politics in this country? Regardless of one’s stance on the health care debate, is violence in the bastion of democracy acceptable behavior?