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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA woman from Indiana this week agreed to plead guilty to threatening a congresswoman with text messages that included “we’ll kill you” and an email that threatened to “kill you and blow that whole building up.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not identify the official who had been threatened. But the office of U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, later told reporters she was the recipient of the messages.
It was not the first time Mace had been targeted—and she’s far from the only public official to be targeted with threats or actual violence.
In The Indiana Lawyer—included in IBJ for the first time this week—you’ll read about a Tippecanoe County judge and his wife who were shot at their front door by an assailant who, at this writing, had not been found.
And last year, amid the debate about mid-cycle redistricting, several Indiana lawmakers were threatened, swatted (meaning someone requested emergency assistance to their addresses even though there was no emergency) and doxed (meaning the posting of personal information—such as a phone number or address—without the individual’s permission).
These incidents are all evidence that rancor in politics and government is so far out of hand that it is eroding the conditions that make democratic self-government possible.
Our system relies on people—professionals, laborers, parents, young adults, retirees—to volunteer to run for office and then serve in positions that require making difficult, sometimes heart-wrenching decisions. It means throwing yourself into the public eye, working long hours and weighing the views of hundreds or thousands of constituents.
Are there public officials that abuse these positions? Yes. Are there people who find ways to make money off these jobs? Absolutely.
But we believe the majority of people who run for office and participate in government do so for the right reasons. And they are often making significant sacrifices as they try to balance their public positions, their careers or business interests, and their families.
That’s in part why too few people opt to run for office. A lawmaker from northwest Indiana, for example, is already giving up weeks away from his or her family to be in Indianapolis voting on legislation that affects the lives of every Hoosier.
But those problems seem mundane when compared to violence and threats of violence that leaders now endure simply for taking positions on the issues they face as elected officials.
This is not the fault of one party or a specific group of people or the cable networks or social media. This is a widespread dismissal of the societal norms that keep our democracy healthy. And it’s time to stop the madness.
Let’s begin agreeing to disagree again. Let’s listen to one another. Let’s assume the best intentions of those around us. Let’s testify for or against bills, express opinions on social media in respectful ways and campaign for those whose views we support. That’s the way you protect democracy and build a better community, state and nation.•
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How amazing that a story like this is written without mentioning the former President, Current at the time candidate for President and of course current President was shot in the head by a left-wing wacko assassin to be. Sorry, someone made some rude comments to Nancy Mace but come on.
Just when you think the press can’t get any more ridiculous, (and for the record I defend and praise IBJ often) They totally redeem themselves by a space wasting (try not to offend anyone) Editorial. BE BETTER.
The only time (s) that a ‘democracy’ has ever attempted to be set in place would be in choose up basketball games or other similar situations. Even then, it usually runs into snags. ‘Democracies’ are a grossly misused term for some sort of non-existent surreality. There is always a hierarchy in anything, that includes governance, home associations, business or classroom to name a few. Democracies don’t even apply to nuclear families. Ultimately mom and dad or big brother or big sister will have final determination. As for the United States or ANY government from the beginning of time, there has NEVER been a democracy. As a matter of fact, there are no actual examples of democracies ANYWHERE throughout the annals of time.
Every government has a layered, precautionary system. Secondly, what is inferred as a democratic government (incorrectly) begins and ends with VOTING, not governance. When laws, edicts or incorporations are installed……’democracy’ is rightly diffused. There are kingdoms, protectorates, regimes, and among others, REPUBLICS. When the USA incorporated in 1790 or Indiana in 1816 INCORPORATED, they, like others became business concerns with a defined set of positional rule.
No where in ANY governmental legal paper in the United States does ‘democracy’ appear as a form of governance. To clarify, the USA does not have a ‘democratic’ form of government….on purpose. The French tried a ‘democracy’ in 1791. It lasted about 4 months. Hundreds of ‘democrats’ were executed and its creator, Robespierre himself was killed. Democracy, at best, is and always has been a phantom, ethereal, political un-reality. It has less reality than fairies, dragons, big foot or untainted elections.
So many people cosplaying at radicalism these days assume/expect that there will be no consequences for their actions. The only way to end this nonsense is to mete out (and enforce) long prison sentences to anyone threatening a public official or interfering with a public official’s performance of his or her duties. Playing dress up radical isn’t nearly as fun when it comes with the possibility of a long stint behind bars.
Threats against public officials by private citizens and corporations is never acceptable. But public officials also need to take some responsibility for the present increase in threats against public officials by private citizens when public officials target and threaten other public officials and private citizens. Public and elected officials need to also tamp down their threats and targeting of others. They need to set an example for all and right now are unfortunately setting the wrong example.