Commentary
Most people are familiar with the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
The incendiary rhetoric that has engulfed our political system has demonstrated that especially violent words can cause hurt, even death, to others.
The most recent example is a California man who showed up last week at the Maryland home of Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Police say he had a gun, bullets, zip ties, and duct tape and was intent on assassinating Kavanaugh before calling 911 and claiming he was suicidal. He’s been charged with attempted murder.
Two years ago, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stood outside the Supreme Court and delivered these fiery words to a crowd of demonstrators opposed to the reversal of Roe v. Wade: “I want to tell you, (Justice Neil) Gorsuch; I want to tell you, Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”…