The massacre in Tucson, Arizona, is a worrying indication of fundamental problems in American society and in American political life.  The overheated rhetoric of the right, with its violent imagery is the least of the problems, though much debated in the past 24 hours.  I think that Vince Carducci presciently got to the heart of the matter in his reply to Martin Plot’s latest post.  Vince agreed with Martin that the pursuit of complete security presents a fundamental challenge to democracy in America.  I also agree, perhaps contrary to Martin’s expectation.  Vince cites Orwell as one of the author’s who illuminated the problem.  I believe that Orwell also reveals a connection between this general problem and the assassination attempt on Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others.

Orwell in 1984 imagined in his dystopia a never ending war, such as the one in which we are now engaged, “the war on terrorism.” He depicted a language, newspeak, which concealed and manipulated, rather than revealed, such as the language we use.  This kind of language is now broadly applied.  On the legislative agenda this week is the bill to kill “Obamacare,”  actually formally named ‘‘Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act.’’  Newspeak is not only used to defend against hidden villains, foreign and domestic, but also political opponents who propose modest social reforms.

And as I am struggling to write this most difficult week in review, I came across a story that compactly indicates how bad things are.  Two members of the House of Representatives, one Republican, Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, one Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, told Politico that they will be carrying guns to protect themselves in their districts. “You never think something like this will happen, but then it does,” Shuler said “After the elections, I let my guard down. Now I know I need to have [my gun] on me. We’re going to need to do a much better job with security at these events.”

Gun toting Congressmen meeting gun toting constituents at public rallies.  Is that what democracy in America has come to?