“Don’t politicize this tragedy” is not a statement showing empathy for a disaster’s victims; it is an attempt to shame people who ask questions about a tragedy or its aftermath into silence. “Don’t politicize this tragedy” is most often hurled at people who ask if there should be different laws, rules, or policies in place that could prevent a tragedy (in the case of mass shootings) or improve the government’s response to a disaster like a flood or large fire.
In the long list of President Trump’s egregious comments that demonstrate his incapacity to lead our country, one of the worst was during his first presidential campaign when he mocked Sen. John McCain for being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He said, “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Sen. Lindsey Graham called the statement, “a disqualifying characteristic to be president,” and Sen. Marco Rubio, currently serving as Trump’s Secretary of State said, “America’s POWs deserve much better than to have their service questioned by the offensive rantings of Donald Trump.” But, what Trump fails to understand still is that MaCain was a war hero not because he was caught but because of how he responded after he was captured. Heroism emerges in the response to a challenge, not the challenge itself.
We have an obligation as citizens and taxpayers to ask, “What could have been done differently?” or "How did we let this happen again?" after a shooting or natural disaster. The questions may not bring peace to the victims’ families, but if they know that all the appropriate systems, laws, and regulations were in place or that the event was an act of God which no one could have prevented, they may find a small measure of solace. And, if things could have been done differently, it would be appropriate to make policy changes to reflect that.
Slashing funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, National Science Foundation and other departments and agencies in the United States significantly reduces our ability to predict, prepare for, and respond to disasters like the recent floods in Texas that have killed over 100 people.
Refusing to tighten restrictions on automatic weapons significantly increases the likelihood that more mass shootings will occur in the United States, so saying, “Don’t politicize this tragedy,” after a mass shooting is an effort to rebuke those who fight for gun safety laws. A significant part of politics is deciding who to tax and at what rate, and then how these tax dollars should be allocated. When we fund or defund a program or agency we are answering the question, “What programs and policies best reflect our values and ideas about society?” And, to this end, we have the responsibility and right to argue and discuss these questions and, hopefully, when we go to the ballot box, we will elect representatives who share similar perspectives.
The victims of a flood or shooting deserve our respect; it is disrespectful and disingenuous to act as though these events are isolated and that the infrastructure we have in place doesn’t play a role in the aftermath of these tragedies. Flash floods are wild and unpredictable; funding the agencies that work to mitigate that volatility improves our ability to respond quickly and appropriately.
The next time you hear someone say, “Don’t politicize this tragedy,” ask yourself if they are mourning the victims or or trying to silence questions that may prevent the next one from occurring.
Posts
