Jared Loughner, a psychopath without a trace of conscience, shot Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords and 19 others in a Safeway parking lot rally for the Congresswoman on January 8, 2011. Six people, including a 9 year old girl were killed and the others, seriously wounded. Giffords, shot in the head, survived the attack and is still in critical condition in the University Medical Center in Tucson. Her wound is grave, and it appears that if she survives, things for her will never be the same. Upon hearing the news, I felt down and depressed at what had become of America, our country. Knowing that the random act was that of a crazy person did not seem to ease my depression for the rest of the day.
After the tragic mindless shooting of many innocent victims at had set in, Paul Krugman, Chris Matthews, and a few other reporters pointed a finger at the violent rhetoric of Sarah Palin as a contributing cause. Though the heinous act was committed by a deranged 22-year-old gunman and had no direct connection to Sarah Palin or that what she might have said did, in fact, inflame the mind of a senseless villain, Palin had used the gun talk words of “targeting” and “crosshairs” before when describing how her supporters, be they Tea Partiers, Republicans, or Independents, needed to vote Gabriel Giffords (and her kind in other targeted states in her crosshairs) out of office. Palin’s crosshairs were posted online and fixed on the states during the 2010 Election that Palin said were “targeted” and in the “crosshairs” because the wrong politicians (according to Palin’s beliefs) were incumbent Democrats in those states. And according to Palin, a housecleaning was in order. See Palin’s gun talk rhetoric and Giffords’ video warning of such almost a year ago
Paul Krugman, columnist for the New York Times, may have ignited the first GOP that caught quickly like wildfire that saw everyone from Rush Limbaugh to Bernie Goldberg to O’Reilly, Hannity, (you know the crowd) to cry foul. A Krugman piece on the Tucson Shooting
Well, all the big league players used their broadcasting Media resources (Fox News, for example) ‘round the clock for days after the shootings, demonizing the Democrats and liberals for “politicizing” the tragedy. They said in monotonous repetitions that made your teeth hurt that this was the act of an insane monster, and to “politicize” it all (like the Left-leaning Media was doing) was horrific and shameful. It went on and on and on for days. You got a slant from Bill O’Reilly and his ghoulish backups like it was the number one hog-rooting, hog-wallowing story that Fox News had to offer. Charles Krauthammer, a regular Fox News contributor hashed it over with O’Reilly in their tandem trashing of liberals about how much they “politicized” the shootings. Under the talking head of Krauthammer were the words, “Harvard educated MD and psychiatrist.” Hmmm. I had had the misfortune to listen to the cadaverous Krauthammer before when I was slumming and flipped the channel to see what new untruth Fox was telling America, and know what? Never did I see that caption under Krauthammer’s difficult to view likeness. Was Fox saving his credentials for just such an occasion that might seem credulous? Then there was Rush. The following piece by Sam Seder commenting on Rush Limbaugh’s comments is pregnant with how violent rhetoric really does incite people to hurt people: Rush and Sam Seder each discuss the likelihood of whether violent hate rhetoric is dangerous
Then came Hannity and all the pig squeals and high-pitched oinks expressing indignation at the Left for politicizing the shooting tragedy. There was Dick Morris, of course, perhaps the only face exuding more bile, dishonesty, and one-way huckster talking points than the Huckster himself, Mike Huckabee. Yada, yada, yada, all day and all night long.
So you take a drive to the post office to get away from such vitriol, and up jumps Rush Limbaugh with his own spin on why people should not listen to the awful Democrats who tried to implicate Palin and her violent rhetoric as perhaps an inciter of such nut cases like Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter who shot 20 people, 6 of whom were killed.
The Right Wing groups, be they Tea Baggers, Republicans, or just misguided Billy Bobs whose heroes are Toby Keith and George W. Bush have engaged in non-stop, 24-7 blathering on the airwaves and on television. There has been a non-stop attempt to defend Sarah Palin in order to exonerate her from any blame for her “crosshairs” style of talking trash. These angry right wing groups have flayed the Democrats and Lefties, non-stop for days at least 30 times an hour, or every 2 minutes. I got one question for them all:
Will the REAL politicizers of this national tragedy please stand up?
I don’t think they even realize what projection truly is nor would they really care if America might really benefit from a statement from Palin that would bring us together and strengthen her chances for the presidency in 2012. Palin could become instantly popular with twice the voters she has now if only she would utter something like:
“The time has come for us to put down our weapons of hate, not to defend them. If I said anything that might inflame a mentally-disturbed individual to commit such a horrific act, I am sorry. I did not mean it literally, the crosshairs thing, and I will strive to do better just in case there might be a sliver of responsibility attributable to me or my campaign rhetoric.” Former press secretary for President George H W Bush said it best: "The strongest way to rise above would have been to talk about suffering, tragedy, hope, strength and recovery," former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told Politico. "But instead she (Palin) followed the more conventional political route and made it about herself rather than the victims."
I tell you she would bring down the house of undecided voters in America. People would believe she is real. But look at it another way: O’Reilly, Hannity, and Rush would be robbed of just another bone to worry by trashing Democrats. Maybe they would feel cheated, who knows?
After 4 days of silence and lying low, Palin finally did speak. On Facebook she posted a video disclaiming any part of such an atrocity as the Tucson massacre. As I watched her words peel off her lips with surgeon precision, I shuddered to think that she was interested in herself, defending herself, denying any part in the shootings at Tucson, and in taking the opportunity to slam dunk the Liberal Media and Liberals. She was right in saying that the shooter acted on his own, but she did not seem to care that her violent remarks in the past such as “lock and load” or “don’t give up (after losing races); reload” might have played a part in inflaming a mentally-deranged person like Loeghner to wound and kill so many innocent Americans.
For those in the News Media who said she might have some responsibility in the incitement of mentally unstable individual like Loeghner, she dumfounded many by accusing the Media of having a “blood libel” axe to grind against her. Blood libel is a term used to demonize Jews for the slaying of children to take their blood and mix with their unleavened bread for purposes of worship. Damn! Can you believe she would use such a term? Her anger goes deeper for a Media who challenges her and wants her to answer to charges, right or wrong, than I ever could imagine for her to use a term such as “blood libel” against the Media. Apparently her use of the term also angered many in the Jewish community. Palin’s use of the term “blood libel” disturbs Jews
So in Palin’s Facebook defense of herself, she says that the influence the Media has is minimal anyway and not that important. But as a person whose whole career is based upon media coverage how can we accept that? The Media is very powerful in determining events that affect the lives of all Americans. And those who use and abuse the Media to achieve their goals are, in this reporter’s opinion, ultra sleazy. Just look at the contrast between Palin’s Facebook video and President Obama’s address to the American people. The difference between Obama and Palin
I, for one, cannot understand this infatuation with such a dark and insensitive character as Sarah Palin. It is crystal clear that the overall good of America and the American people is not her quest. She just doesn’t give a damn. She proves that she cares most about Sarah Palin. And should be taken at her word. Lest we all pay for it dearly in the future.