Der Spiegel: 'Political Radicalization in US Unworthy of a Democratic State'

[marmar]

The shootings over the weekend of a US congresswoman and 19 others in Arizona prompts German commentators to urge the Americans to tone down the rhetoric and take a step back. Some say Europeans, too, could learn a lesson from the violence in Tucson.

As the United States seeks to grapple with what role extreme political discourse may have played in Saturday's shootings in Tucson, German commentators called on the country to take a good, hard look at what words are thrown out in the national dialogue, and what their consequences may be.

The shooting of US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others at a meet-and-greet event outside a grocery store in the southern Arizona city of Tucson stunned the US and made headlines across Germany over the weekend. In all, six people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl and a federal judge, and 14 were wounded. Giffords, who was shot at close range, remains in critical condition in a Tucson hospital following brain surgery. Doctors have removed a portion of her skull to allow for swelling of her brain.

German readers have learned details about the record of the Democratic congresswoman, seen pull-out maps of the state she represents, and viewed images of a shocked US president. Most of the editorials in German papers Monday focused on the racheting up of political tensions in the United States, and lay responsibility at the feet of the Tea Party movement and figures at its helm, such as former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,738676,00.html