10 years ago this week dangerous, violent rhetoric led to the attempted murder of a U.S. congressperson. A graphic on Sarah Palin's website put crosshairs on Gabby Gifford's district and days later, she was shot in the head, along with 18 others, 9 of whom died. 1/

Afterward, there were numerous calls to "tone down the rhetoric" but no acceptance of responsibility and no consequences to any of those who had been pushing this rhetoric constantly in the then two years since President Obama's inauguration. 2/

Once it became clear that these calls to violence carried no punishment, it only got worse.
In the past ten years we've seen racially and/or conspiracy charged mass shootings, bombings, kidnapping plots, and other attacks. 3/

And most of the time we condemn the "bad actors" who commit the crimes, but any responsibility for the rhetoric that raises the temperature is replaced by calls for "unity" and nothing changes. 4/

I'm reminded of a story relayed to me. My Father was talking politics with a family friend and when told I was a supporter of President Obama, the family friend suggested I should be "taken out and shot". That is incredibly small potatoes, but how did we get there? 5/

How did we get to where the response to a political disagreement is a suggestion of, or in some cases actual Murder? We got there by spending the better part of two decades not taking this rhetoric seriously or forcing those to foment it to face any consequences.

It's what led to Tucson, it's what led to Charlottesville, it's what led to Kenosha and it's what led to what happened at the Capitol this week.
I think about that as I see politicians, many of whom who's words stoked this fire, try to replace punishment with "Unity". 6/

I'm as happy as everyone else that the insurrectionists are being rounded up and arrested. But if the powers that be aren't shown, once and for all, that words and rhetoric bring consequences, then Wednesday isn't the last or worst of it we will see. /end