Political figures don't deserve public harassment

Just weeks after two right-wing extremists verbally assaulted and appeared to threaten violence against Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak and his wife at a restaurant in Las Vegas, a left-wing radical unleashed a vile tirade against Republican gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo during a public appearance late last month.

In both cases the tactics were similar — the public figure is asked to come in close to the assailant under the pretext of taking a selfie and then, once within easy reach of the assailant — and potentially vulnerable to violence — the verbal assault begins.

The victim immediately recoils because he is too close to an aggressive person, and then the assailant starts pursuing while the public figure retreats. It’s a formula for grotesque street theater at best, violence at worst.

This ugliness has got to stop, regardless of where it’s coming from on the political spectrum. Whether from the right or left or in-between, it has no business in a civilized society.

The harassment of Sisolak and Lombardo had similarities, in that the clods who shot off their mouths both recorded themselves and proudly posted the videos to social media. In Lombardo’s case, a leader in the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) followed him through the crowd at a panel discussion at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, shouting profanities and insults.

Worse yet, the local DSA reacted to the incident not by condemning it but by seeming to encourage more bad behavior by saying, “Lombardo is despicable and his constituents should let him know that.”

Lombardo didn’t deserve this, nor does anyone.

That’s not to say Lombardo is above criticism — he’s definitely not — but there are plenty of appropriate times, places and methods for beefing at any public official. What happened at the Smith Center didn’t check any of those boxes. It was simply an act of thuggery and intimidation.

Meanwhile, Lombardo has ducked interviews and debates, instead choosing only to engage the public in situations where he can avoid tough questions or reasonable criticism.

We, like others, are galled by a candidate so worried about scrutiny that he is terrified of sitting down for hard questions. Every voter in the state should look at this as political spinelessness of the first order.

But again, that doesn’t mean he should be chased down, cursed at, provoked, etc.

For those upset with Lombardo, Sisolak, or any other public leader, acceptable options for expressing opposition include calling or emailing their office, calling into a radio talk show, carrying a picket sign on public right-of-way outside their office, protesting outside of candidate speaking engagements, submitting a letter to the editor, and, of course, voting against them.

Or critics can run for office themselves and defeat the politician who’s making them mad.

— Las Vegas (Nevada) Sun