Right now, the extreme left is more to blame than the extreme right for the violence that has overtaken us.   Probably because they are the ones that are out of power.  Plus, I think the people on the extreme left have always enjoyed demonstrating, and a demonstration can very easily turn into a riot.

But, that said, I would remind everyone that about 2 or 3 months ago, someone on this very message board posted a message that ended with the sentence "...liberals are vermin that need to be exterminated."  That's the kind of rhetoric that has been building ever since Obama got elected in 2008.  

How about this one:  “Liberals have a preternatural gift for always striking a position on the side of treason."  Anne Coulter

How about this one: "Why do we have a Second Amendment? It's not to shoot deer. It's to shoot at the government when it becomes tyrannical!"
Judge Andrew Napolitano, not Rand Paul.

Now, put together "liberals are on the side of treason," and "the purpose of the 2nd amendment is to shoot at the government when it becomes too tyrannical" and what do you have? It's obvious, if Clinton had won the election instead of Trump, right wingers would be doing the shooting instead of the left wingers. Because some of us have fallen for the rhetoric that says the other side is evil.

Both sides are at fault.  The overheated rhetoric sells.   People have been making money on it.  But now it's seeped into people's minds to the extent that they are acting like they really believe it.  

My next door neighbor, who is a retired doctor and a pretty smart guy, once told me he thought Obama was trying to destroy the country on purpose.   On purpose!   Now, if you think someone is trying to destroy the United States on purpose, what would be the logical course of action?   Defend the country!  Of course!  No, he wasn't going to do anything.  He was just an old man.  But it's just a very small step from believing the other side is evil to picking up a gun and doing something about it.  

I've seen surveys that show that a lot of people say they don't want to have friends that disagree with them politically.  When I was growing up, my parents were on the opposite side politically from our next door neighbors.   But they still had dinner with each other and talked about politics in a very good natured and friendly way.  

We have to start calling people out when they accuse the other side of being evil.  We have to go back to the days when we gave people credit for having good intentions.

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