Dangerous hyperbole
The cold-blooded murder of a citizen by a Golden Dawn member should serve as a wake-up call to everyone. Showing zero tolerance toward the criminal actions of this neo-Nazi organization is the only acceptable reaction. Showing zero tolerance for attacks against public figures or the use of any form of violence as an expression of protest is also the only way to go for a society that wants to maintain some cohesion and safeguard democracy.
On a separate note, over the past few years, a number of politicians and other shapers of public opinion have done their utmost to cultivate hate in a society that is carrying its own heavy burden by using words such as “traitor” and speaking of lynchings and hangings. These people should not act shocked today at the increasing violence in Greece.
The best way to avoid any more people being killed is for the country’s political parties – other than Golden Dawn of course – to agree to cut the hyperbole and hate talk from their rhetoric and join forces against the real enemy of democracy and stability.
