In 1994 and 1995, mortar rounds smashed into the Markale market in Sarajevo, Bosnia, killing 68 and 43 civilians, respectively. Scores were wounded. Immediately, and to this day, the Serbs responsible for the attacks have baldly asserted that the Muslims fired the rounds, killing their own in a bid for international sympathy.
Repeated, exhaustive court trials have rejected the Serb claims, and concluded the rounds came from Serb army guns. As noted author Tim Judah notes: "The Serbian argument was grotesque, since what they wanted the world to believe was that of the hundreds of thousands of shells they fired, none had ever hurt anyone."
I find a repeat of the same willingness to exonerate allies and fault opponents occurring here in recent days. It doesn't appear that anyone has died at the hands of others in the few days since the election, but unless partisans on all sides stop rushing to both judgment and exoneration, and stop engaging in hateful attacks and pointless demonstrations of, shall we say, political fealty, that's where we're headed.
There has been, beyond contention, a rise in bigoted, racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, and anti-Muslim language and actions in the last days. That is and must be unacceptable.
Both sides (all sides?) can and should be taking peaceful, practical, pragmatic steps to protect and advance their interests, steps that don't insult and belittle, and which don't continue the intolerant, confrontational, offensive rhetoric of the campaign.
