"With just over a week to go before the midterm elections, fears of political violence are soaring after Paul Pelosi's home was attacked." On October 31, the New York Times reported.
On October 28, local time, Paul Pelosi, husband of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked by criminals in his house in San Francisco, and he was subsequently operated on for a skull fracture.
David DePape, 42, was identified as a suspect and was detained on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with deadly weapons, elder abuse, battery, burglary and several other felonies.
Paul Pelosi, 82, underwent cranial reconstruction surgery on October 29 and is currently recovering. In an open letter to all members of the House, Nancy Pelosi said that while Paul's condition has improved, his family feels "heartbroken and traumatized."
As the investigation deepens, more details of the attack on Paul Pelosi are being revealed.
There is a list of suspects
"Where's Nancy? Where is Nancy? After breaking into Pelosi's home, David DePep shouted. US media reported that the suspect's original planned target was actually Nancy Pelosi, who happened to be not in San Francisco at the time of the incident.
The words shouted by the suspect were the slogans shouted by demonstrators who stormed Capitol Hill during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. At that time, some demonstrators broke into Nancy Pelosi's office.
Police said the suspect DePep's attack was not "random" but "intentional." When entering Pelosi's house, DePep also carried a bag containing a bunch of items such as zippers and tape.
The attacker's motive has not been determined, but according to US media reports, a blog account registered at DePepp's own address has published numerous articles supporting the far right, white supremacy, racism and conspiracy theories.
Even more shocking, U.S. law enforcement sources confirmed that DePep had a list of targets in his hands and that he might be planning to attack more people. U.S. law enforcement believes DePep may have been planning to target others.
As more of DePep's identity was revealed, the attack became increasingly political. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters said: "This is just one example of political violence, and some people are opening the door to violence against other officials." ”
The Associated Press bluntly said: The attack is an extremely barbaric reminder that extremism in American politics in recent years has added a sense of "foreboding" to American society as the midterm elections approach.
The two parties are locked in a war of scolding
With the midterm elections approaching on November 8, the two parties, which are already in a fierce struggle, will certainly not let go of this sudden attack, scrambling to use it as a weapon to blame each other and engage in a fierce confrontation.
Democrats have strenuously accused Republican leaders of fomenting hatred and long-standing the issue of political violence, and they have questioned the bland Republican response to atrocities.
"A far-right white supremacist tried to assassinate the speaker of the House of Representatives, nearly killing her husband, and the Republicans responded either to ignore or disdain." Minnesota Democratic rep. Ilhan Omar said.
Rep. Jim McGovern, Democrat of Massachusetts, posted on social media, accusing Republican Green of blaming the attack: "It was you who asked for Nancy Pelosi's execution, you said she should be hanged for treason, and now someone listened." This is the America that Republicans represent, and it is sick. ”
Republicans, while condemning the attacks, pointed the finger at the Democrats' policies of being too indulgent with criminals.
Republican Rep. Green condemned the violence, praying for "Paul Pelosi" while stressing that "violence and crime are rampant in the United States under Joe Biden."
Republican National Committee Chair Lorna McDaniel quipped, "If the victim wasn't Paul Pelosi, the suspect would have been on the street the next day... This is what the policies of the Democratic Party bring. ”
Paul's attack is breaking away from its own violence, and the trigger is on the verge of igniting a bipartisan "vote war." Some people believe that the attack is like a two-way mirror, on the one hand it shows the incompetence of the two parties in dealing with the persistent diseases of American society, including violent crime, and on the other hand, the endless political attacks of the two parties driven by the interests of the party.
"Civil war is also possible"
"A week before the landmark congressional midterm elections, this can be nerve-wracking and scary. Serious politicians and scholars now even believe that a civil war in the United States is possible. An article on the website of the German Handelsblatt newspaper entitled "American Democracy Faces Degeneration" on October 30 commented.
The current level of social divisions in the United States is unimaginable just a few years ago. And the essence of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power, is no longer a matter of course in the United States. "Depravity—maybe the word is apt."
On October 29, at the Philadelphia campaign convention, U.S. President Joe Biden made an emotional speech trying to hold Republicans accountable for Paul's attack, saying, "The United States does not tolerate political violence... Really enough! ”
However, Paul's attack is not an isolated case of political violence in the United States, which has intensified in recent years:
In 2011, then-Arizona Senator Gabriel Giffords was shot in the head at an event outside a grocery store.
In 2017, House Minority Whip Scalis was shot and seriously injured during a baseball practice.
An attack on the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021. The demonstrators also threatened to hang then-Vice President Mike Pence.
On this year's election campaign, Republican U.S. Representative Lee Zelding of New York State was attacked by an attempted man...
According to data released by the US Capitol Police, police investigated 9,625 physical threats against members of Congress last year, nearly three times more than in 2017.
The latest violent incident has stirred the nerves of American society at a sensitive time. The Associated Press cited polls as saying that people are worried about the fragile democratic status quo in the United States, and even fear the outbreak of civil war.
A domestic intelligence assessment by the Department of Homeland Security and other departments on Friday said extremists "pose a greater threat" to the upcoming midterm elections, while the greatest danger comes from "lone offenders who use election-related issues to justify violence."
Column editor-in-chief: Gu Wanquan Text editor: Song Yanlin Title image source: Dongfang IC Photo editor: Yongkai
Source: Author: Governor of Chang'an Avenue