It might only be the third week of January, but it seems the year has already had more than enough assassination attempts.
No matter where they may have taken place — or whether they were successful — these acts cannot be ignored.
In both Arizona and Pakistan, the recent assassination targets were outspoken proponents of change. Both victims had been vocally targeted by opposing groups.
It is this violent rhetoric and language that has come under scrutiny lately.
Salman Taseer, governor of the Pakistani state of Punjab, was attacked Jan. 4 by one of his own security personnel, Mumtaz Qadri. When the guard was asked why he gunned down Taseer, he claimed it was because of his recent controversial views on Pakistan’s Blasphemy Law.
This series of laws basically allows the country to penalize anyone who might blaspheme against Islam. Actions such as defiling the Quran, outraging religious feelings or defaming the prophet Muhammad could result in anything ranging from fines to imprisonment for several years or life.
Taseer provoked the attack on himself by defending amendments proposing this law. The governor had also fought to pardon a Christian woman facing the death penalty after being accused of defacing Muhammad, which drew Taseer once again into the headlines.
While Taseer’s views had largely been supported by Western media, the same cannot be said about those in his own country. Urdu news outlets, which make up the majority of the Pakistani media, were some of the most intense critics of the proposed changes and have been accused of pandering to the violent prejudices of their audiences.
Following his death, several of these papers continued such behavior and some, like the Urdu paper Daily Ausaf, justified the assassination by claiming Taseer brought it on himself. Other citizens have called Qadri a hero.
Although the Pakistan and Arizona situations are undoubtedly different, it is easy to see some similarities between the two tragedies.
In the days that followed Jared Loughner’s attack on U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and those attending her rally, people from both sides of the political aisle scrambled to find someone to blame.
Many issues, such as the state of gun control or mental-health care, popped up as possible reasons for blame. The largest target, however, has been the abundance of violent rhetoric that has spread throughout politics.
One person frequently brought up was Sarah Palin and her use of violent and gun-related messages to her supporters. The crosshairs on the map of America on Palin’s website list Giffords as a target.
Palin’s controversial use of the phrase “Don’t Retreat, Reload” makes it hard not to side with her critics.
However, while I may find her rhetoric revolting, Palin is not
responsible for Loughner’s actions. There is no need whatsoever for this hateful atmosphere to exist in politics, and it should be severely frowned upon.
We do not want our politicians to be killed while some deem their murderers heroes.
Some people may cry out about stifling free speech, but we all need to realize the power words have over people.
Whether it’s here in our own country or halfway across the world, there are countless examples of how hateful speech and rhetoric have the power to inflict devastation.
What everyone needs to remember is that we are all citizens of the same country, and we simply want to improve it with the political system we believe is best.
The moment we talk about each other’s lives in meaningless ways is the moment we begin to lose ourselves and our humanity.
Zachary Davis is a 19-year-old history sophomore from Warsaw, Poland. Follow him on Twitter
@TDR_zdavis.
 
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Contact Zachary Davis at [email protected]