Here We Go Again With The "Political Violence" Theatrics

d Abdulrahman Anwar al-Awlaki and eight-year-old Nawar al-Awlaki. Neither of the victims were charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime. Nor have any of the perpetrators been charged with or tried for the murders.

Bill Clinton took "full responsibility" for the murders of 82 Branch Davidians by federal agents in Waco, Texas in 1993. Apparently "full responsibility" doesn't include throwing one's self on the mercy of a court.

I have to disagree -- but only partially -- with journalist/novelist Ben Ehrenreich's snarky tweet: "There is no place for political violence against rich, white men. It is antithetical to everything America stands for."

There's quite a bit of "political violence" in the world, but the term seldom gains much traction, nor does the phenomenon get much attention, unless the target is an American politician.

American politicians are responsible for "political violence" resulting in literally millions of deaths during my lifetime (I was born just as the war in Vietnam was heating up).

While there's usually vigorous debate about the wisdom of such "political violence," and plenty of hand-wringing about "collateral damage" and such, we see none of the red-faced, vein-popping outrage that suddenly appears when the target is one of America's Very Special Important People.

Contra Ehrenreich, the outrage isn't about the targets being rich or white. It's about the targets being part of the American political class.

There's an interrogation scene in the 1996 biopic Michael Collins, in which a prisoner is told "Don't threaten us, you Fenian swine. We threaten you!"

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