Emotional Wrongs

During the last presidential campaign, I had someone ask me exactly what Barack Obama's promise of hope and change meant. Of course, Obama had been talking about what kind of change he meant in city after city after city.

Now, after last night's vote, the promise for change is a reality. As he said in his comments, "this is what change looks like". Unfortunately, for the country and members of the GOP, the fight against change came down to shouting racial and homophobic epithets, spitting on a Congressman, and disgracing the House, themselves, and their party by shouting "baby killer" at Representative Bart Stupak.

The process to change isn't pretty. Achieving change is sweet. Implementing change? Well, I guess that is a promise to come and I am confident that we will get there.

I have an unspoken concern. A concern that was hinted to me more than once prior to President Obama's election. Now, with the GOP "leadership" resorting to such small-minded action, that unspoken concern is there again. We have seen time and again the acts against women's clinics and the doctors who perform procedures for women. We have heard the threats, we have witnessed the gunning down of physicians. Were the Republicans fanning the flames of the anti-abortion reactionaries by repeating false information about President Obama's agreement with Representative Bart Stupak last night?

Despite one's strongly held belief about an issue, is it wise or safe to invoke the two words that have been known to recently cause violence in this country?  Apparently someone on the GOP side of the aisle thought so. While no one may admit to this or find the courage to report it, investigation is necessary for safety of the Congress and the President. While investigators may not be able to control everything that is said and done in a crowd, disgusting as it might be, they should control what is said and done within the walls of Congress when it could incite a threat or, God forbid, an act of violence.