Back in the year 1996, Al Franken wrote a book entitled “Rush Limbaugh Is A Big Fat Idiot: And Other Observations” When it was released, many right wingers, including the very prominently named Mr. Limbaugh decried it as an attack and a smear campaign. Were one to read the book, however, the reader would find that in and amongst the many jokes about Rush’s weight, his several divorces, and his out and out lies, that Franken was in fact attempting to throw a satirical light upon what was quickly becoming standard operating procedure for the right wing: building liberal straw-men to knock down at will.

Indeed, Franken mentioned in many interviews that his book was not so much about making jokes at Limbaugh’s expense as it was about bemoaning the loss of civility in public discourse. Increasingly, especially amongst conservatives, it seemed that one had to pass an ideological purity test in order to be considered “one of us”. Those who harbored different opinions on one or two subjects were immediately looked upon as “unclean” and cast aside. In his own way, Al Franken may have hoped to mend that rift in civility and bring some sort of common sense back to political discourse. Unfortunately, it seems as if the body politic has taken those sutures and torn them asunder for the sake of convenience.

Two incidents over the past couple of weeks have underscored the seething current of violence that bubbles beneath the surface in our modern politically-oriented society.

CASE ONE: Late last month, the congregation at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville were preparing to celebrate Sunday with a children’s performance of the musical “Annie Jr.” A man named David Adkisson entered the sanctuary carrying a guitar case. The UUs, being the accepting people they are, assumed he had come in to join and maybe pick some guitar for the service. Instead, Adkisson reached into the case and pulled out a shotgun, firing into the congregation. Greg McKendry stepped between Adkisson and his other targets, receiving the full brunt of the blast. Another parishioner was struck and later died. More members rose from their pews and wrestled Adkisson to the ground, holding him until police arrived. In all, two people were murdered and seven others were injured.

Adkisson, who had recently had his food stamps benefits reduced, had apparently expected to be killed by the police after the confrontation, as he left a note explaining his actions in his vehicle. He targeted the church specifically for its “liberal” viewpoints and its acceptance of gays and lesbians. A search of his house revealed a selection of books by a variety of conservative authors, including “Liberalism is a Mental Disorder” by Michael Savage, and “Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty Over Liberalism”

CASE TWO: Yesterday a man walked into the Arkansas state headquarters of the Democratic Party, claiming to want to volunteer for the upcoming campaign. He said he wanted to meet Bill Gwatney, the state party chairman. When he was refused, Timothy Johnson pushed through to Gwatney’s office, introduced himself to Gwatney and shot him several times with a handgun. Johnson led police on a 30-mile chase before he himself was shot and killed.

In between the murder and the chase, Johnson had fled into the nearby headquarters of the Arkansas Baptist Association, and pulled a gun on a clerk there. When asked what had gone wrong, Johnson only replied that he had recently lost his job. While it may not have been politically motivated, it is interesting to note that Johnson chose to shoot the chairman of the state Democratic Party.

Two cases of lower-income Americans taking out their frustrations in a most violent manner. Three people dead, apparently for nothing more than ideology. It is also worth noting that the Knoxville shootings were replaced very quickly on the front pages after it happened. The shooting in Little Rock, which might have been a lead at another time and were it another party headquarters, is already being buried under coverage of the Olympics and the Georgian conflict. In a land where discourse has degraded so precipitously, it is difficult not to imagine something of a more deadly and earth-shaking nature happening between now and November.

The question is, do we as Americans have the wherewithal to see what has happened here and prevent such a major tragedy from occurring? Maybe we can’t change the course of civility overnight, but perhaps we can find a way to dam the river before the flood washes us all away, regardless of political stripe.