You might think that your words and actions — talking of putting people in the “cross-hairs” and putting gun-sites on various districts — don’t matter. But they do. Didn’t you teach your children to think before they speak? Did you tell them that what they say and the words they choose matter?

Maybe not, given that your children have used homophobic slurs in social media. When you accuse good people of supporting “death panels” rather than giving a reasoned response outlining the reasons you disagree with a proposal, you encourage people who don’t look deeply into a subject to think that their life depends on drastic — perhaps violent — action.

If you truly believe your views are correct, don’t concoct Tweet-sized soundbites to rile up the masses. Explain your reasons and encourage people to study the proposals and come to a conclusion. Reasoned discourse doesn’t lead to violence. Telling people that socialists are taking over the government and want to put your grandmother down like a dog could just push someone unstable over the edge. Telling them to take down their opponents? That’s just asking for a loon to pick up a gun.

Think then speak. I tell my 13 year old that. I shouldn’t have to tell someone who once ran a state.

Lisa