Jared Loughner 22-year-old accused gunman allegedly shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and others, including a child and federal judge who died from their wounds.
Critics of Sarah Palin have already drawn a link between the shooting and the fact that the former Alaska governor put Giffords on a "target list" of lawmakers Palin wanted to see unseated in the midterm elections.
In March, Palin released a map featuring 20 House Democrats that used rifle crosshair images to show their districts.
(You can see it above.)
...click to enlarge.
Critics suggested at the time that she was inciting violence by using the weapons imagery and for later writing on Twitter to her supporters, "'Don't Retreat,-RELOAD!"
"We're paying particular attention to those House members who voted in favor of Obamacare and represent districts that Senator John McCain and I carried during the 2008 election," Palin wrote when she released the target list.
She specifically cited Giffords and then went to say: "We'll aim for these races and many others."
(Copy shamelessly lifted from CBS.)
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This was bound to happen sooner or later. The "Tea Party" appeals to the fears, and resentments of millions. One of them was eventually going to take the battle cry of "Second Amendment Solutions", or "Remedies", literally. The 2nd Amendment referring to the right of citizens to own weapons.
Other than this I don't know what to say. The obvious is if you repeatedly appeal to the country's worst instincts crimes like this 'will' happen.
We have a contrived political movement based on hatred, and fear. Which is backed up by a television network, and extremists radio personalities. Such a tragic combination can't help, but eventually produce deadly results.
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous."
"Unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital for this behavior. We have become the Mecca for prejudice and bigotry."
Pima County Ariz. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik
3 comments:
While it would be irresponsible and unjust to accuse Mrs. Palin of intending to occasion such an event, it would be stupid to deny any connection. The climate of rage and hatred openly encouraged by her, by the Tea Party, and by other such voices, when combined with open talk of firearms in a political context, makes such events as this tragically inevitable. I've been expecting such an event, and I'm afraid I can't but expect more. This begins to look more and more like the "third world" countries we are always criticizing for violent politics.
ed
Frankly I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner. I recall too well the death threats against Obama at Palin rallies during the election.
Perhaps this movement will be shocked back to reality by this political massacre.
If we're lucky. If we're insanely lucky.
Had to write this this morning.
Second Amendment Remedy?
Rage has never been the cause of quiet,
nor has shouting ever stilled a storm.
When a fuse is lit and left to smolder,
soon it will ignite the charge,
and soon explosion will burst forth,
and fierce destruction come to pass.
Little fires quickly grow together,
fanned by winds of scorching passion,
and combine to feed a conflagration,
that consumes all it finds along its path.
And when a hatred seeks for any reason
that it may bend to make its feeble case,
and when cross-hairs are used to focus actions,
second amendment used to justify revolt,
and violence of a revolution threatened,
what surprise when madmen start to crack,
and think to find support in words they hear,
and lash out in just the ways heard everywhere,
and bring confusion,
destruction,
death and pain,
and the beauty of a growth toward freedom,
turns to ashes,
and will die if raging cannot be contained,
if anger be allowed to reign,
if peace and reason fail to be returned.
America,
experiment,
full of flaws and yet of promise,
will we hear and heed the warning?
Or is this the way the dreams will die?
----------ed pacht
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