The Root of Propaganda, The Roots of Violence, and The Root of Change

Saturday’s events in my home state should never have happened, not for the reasons that many will believe.  First, I agree, the rhetoric of our current political environment needs to change. Many do not know the tone and language used in Arizona elections has been turned up to a level where primary elections are not about issues but about who is more extreme. For example, Jesse Kelly, Rep. Giffords 2008 GOP opponent, had no political experience, was relatively new to Arizona, and ran only on I am against everything Obama and government.  Jesse Kelly used propaganda and suggestive, implied rhetoric to try and stir up a base of strict conservatives to beat out his primary opponent, Jonathan Paton; Jonathan Paton served in the state legislature, active member in the military, just completing a tour in Iraq, and a pragmatic public servant.  The voters in the Republican primary voted for the emotional propaganda by Kelly, this was not an exemption but the rule in Arizona; Ben Quayle won his primary by saying that the President was the worst ever, Arizonans voted him to Congress even though he lived in Arizona for the long tenure of 3 years, a “Real Arizonan”.  The battle in Arizona is about being elected; it is not about doing the best for the state, but winning the spoils of election.   I think it needs to change to one of real factual debate, instead of emotional, propaganda talking points.  This last election was not about constructive debate, but about anti-government angst. The speech and language to gain votes for a seat that many of our representatives do not respect is part of the problem that many have with politicians.  For those that serve the people and those that cover our representatives need to have real debates about policy, not debates for the purpose of rates and poll numbers. 

Next, as details come out about the suspected murderer, the picture of mental illness is being framed.  Last year, as part of the state’s budget crisis about 14,000 Arizonans lost mental health care coverage through ACCCHS.  If someone recognized that the suspected murderer was mental ill, where could they go for help.  The Arizona legislature has taken a position to cut health care for Arizona to balance the budget this includes mental health.  For a long time in Arizona the mental health issues have been pushed aside by lawmakers, hopefully this tragedy will push them to address it immediately.

Finally, this tragedy should lead to the discussion again on the accessibility to handguns by individuals will mental illness.  After Virginia Tech, the Commonwealth of Virginia tightened the state gun laws, to prevent mentally unsounded individuals to purchase a gun without first going through a Federal database.  In Arizona, the last decade has been marked by legislation to allow anyone to carry a gun.  The basis for this openness is that if guns were more available, people would be safer.  The reality is that Arizona has some of the looses oversight of gun ownership in the United States.  I understand that it is a right, but the lawmakers of this state want guns to be allowed everywhere.  There is no reason to bring a handgun to a Safeway on a Saturday morning, or to a bar on a Friday night.  The guns in bar issue is prime example of how the state has changed in the last five years.  In 2005, Randy Graf, Rep. Giffords first opponent whom she beat in 2006, was mocked nationally by the Daily Show for the Guns in Bars law he proposed.  The law allows gun owners to carry a gun into a bar, A BAR.  Apparently, the thinking for this law was that guns and alcohol CAN mix in a non-violent way.  This last year, the law to allow guns in bars passed and was signed by the Governor; the next new gun law is not really a law, but an elimination of oversight, allow guns on college and university campuses, like ASU.  Again, party atmosphere with alcohol and guns could make for an interesting theme party.   

The roots of this tragedy is a combination of rhetoric, anti-government zeal, mental illness, and policy decisions by a state that is demonstrating that it could care less about the people that live in it.  Arizona is in a crisis, not a financial one, or a political one, but a crisis of identity to the rest of world and to its citizens.  The path of the state needs to change, or the image that many have been trying to change for the last 20 years (since the Evan Mecham days) will comeback.  The image of the bigoted, out of control, and leader-less state that is out of touch with the rest of the country.  Last thing, I ask my friends who still live in the beautiful state to take a step back before automatically get mad at what I say; this is my constructive criticism for a state that I love and has lost its way.