My thoughts on this weekend’s events are many, and they are complicated. In a few instances, they are contradictory.
But so what? I lived for eight years under the presidency of George W. Bush in these United States, and I never once tried to jack up a member of Congress.
These are strange and terrible times in Arizona and everywhere else in America, and we were warned. Hell, I even warned a few people.
On one hand, I can’t stand any more progressives or liberals taking the “high road” on this. Those types of self-righteous, “non-violent” attitudes and holier-than-thou missives thrown from ivory towers are what got us here to begin with.
They refused to champion their own ideals and let the steamroller of Stone Age beliefs embodied in the Tea Party curb-stompers roll straight into power.
They sat on their hands and let Keith Olbermann do the talking as Sarah Palin’s “hit list” map was revealed, were quiet as church mice while crackpot Sharron Angle declared her “Second Amendment Solution” time after time on national television and kept silent as the conversation in this country turned curiously toward violence.
Hundreds of rally signs spotted and photographed at Tea Party rallies said, “I came unarmed … this time.”
All the left could muster to counter those now non-idle threats was a letter writing campaign to the New York Times.
Violence is the only thing these people understand, and the only thing the Republicans fear is a group of heavily-armed liberals.
But the right doesn’t have to worry about a gunfight. They’re fighting the Democrats.
They traditionally surrender before the fight starts. And they are doing it again by refusing to call a spade a spade when it comes to saying, out loud, why this happened.
On the other hand, I see many of my teabagging friends have lost their Internet connections and phone service this weekend. Nary a sound from them, except for a few who call the alleged shooter a “communist liberal.”
They owe this country – indeed the world – an apology for turning what should be the envy of the planet (America) into a shooting match in a grocery store parking lot.
As of this writing, I am personally unaware of any public statements from Rush, Hannity, Palin or any other of those dingbats and dunces that own this mess.
Why not a call to “lock ‘em all up” or demand end to such crazed threats and actions? I believe they all share responsibility for the recent threats and violence because they never say “Don’t do that.” Instead, they put out political propaganda with gun targets on people’s faces and say “Let’s take ‘em out!”
What does that say to crazy people?
As I read on Facebook today, “It’s like Pontius Pilate saying, ‘Let’s not put any religious significance into this crucifixion thing.’ “
The left will react predictably and use this as an opportunity to push for tighter gun control. The right will do as always and attempt to distance itself from the heavily armed nutcases and wackos it relies upon to win elections.
What is next for America in 2011?
It looks like the best the public can hope for is the return of “Dancing With The Stars” or “American Idol” to soothe the psyche and properly numb the mind. Then the rest of us can get back to business.
As for me, I’m taking the advice of a long time friend just as I always have: “Buy more ammo.”
This is crazy. How do people like Sarah Palin and Glen Beck sleep at night after inciting this kind of violence? (and don't say "on a huge bed of money") Sure the guy was nuts but all that anti-government stuff he was saying fits right in to the tea party. Scary time to be living here that's for sure. All they seem to be doing is distancing themselves from the shooter which is sad. Should be calling for peace and should be scared of the people you mentioned -"heavily armed liberals". Not sure how many there are of those though.
ReplyDeletePolitical rhetoric didn't shoot Giffords and the rest- one crazy individual did that. Blaming a political party or politician for the actions of a lunatic is not only pointless, but useless. It won't stop the next whackjob, who is as likely to shoot at anyone, regardless of their political affiliations.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, perhaps it's time to buy more ammo. I worry that the shrieking in the media could cause gun laws to be tightened. Folks in Washington will be wringing their hands, wanting to do something, anything, to look busy and productive at a time like this. That usually doesn't work out too well; law of unintended consequences and all.
I am a very lightly armed conservative in Valley Station. (There's an air rifle in my son's room, pellet variety.) But I can't help wishing the people at Gifford's safeway had been a little better armed, and that one of them had pulled a gun on the shooter after he took his first shot. An experienced gun owner at the event could have saved many lives.
If you wouldn't mind, please go back and reread the first part of the piece where I say, "So maybe we all share in the blame as a society for this weekend’s brutal murder of six people and the wounded survivors that include the main target, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords."
ReplyDeleteThat seems to be the part a few of you are missing.
I have had an overwhelmingly positive response to this particular entry, and it isn't because my readers are all "socialists". It is because they know highly influential people can't keep doing this crazy gun talk because sooner or later, that crazy gun talk reaches the ears of someone that is sick and looking for inspiration. It's called "being responsible".
I don't think arming everyone is the solution. The fact that the shooter got a gun in his condition is alarming enough. We don't need 100 of him out running the streets after listening to Glenn Beck talk about the gold standard, and we sure as hell don't need 100 angry teabaggers or 100 furiously pissed off ironworkers with a massive grudges packing heat, looking to defend something. Event security: That's what cops are for.
It's simple, really. Don't beat around the bush and say "second amendment remedies" or "if we don't get them at the ballot box, we will reach for the bullet box". That's inciting violence.
The purveyors of this nonsense are reaping what they have sown, and now we are all paying the price for not doing more to shut that threatening type of talk down. Thanks for your comments and thanks for reading. I really appreciate it.
Boy, did everyone just ignore all the warning signs. I read in the WaPo today that the guy who ran against Giffords invited supporters to shoot an M-16 with him as a fundraiser!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, and he wasn't the only candidate to do so.
ReplyDeleteRobert Lowry, Republican challenger in Florida, shot at a human-shaped target that had his opponent's initials written next to it during a campaign event at a gun range.
"Get on Target for Victory in November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly."
"We can get new faces in. Whether it's my face or not, I pray to God that I see new faces. And if we don't see new faces, I'm cleaning my guns and getting ready for the big show. And I'm serious about that, and I bet you are, too." - Richard Behney, the guy that ran for Evan Bayh's senate seat
"We hunt liberal, tree-hugging Democrats, although it does seem like a waste of good ammunition." - Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS)
"And if ballots don't work, bullets will." - Joyce Kaufman, nearly hired as chief of staff for Rep. Allen West (R-FL)
"People are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying, my goodness, what can we do to turn this country around? I'll tell you, the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out," - Sharron Angle
"The crossfire is intense, so penetrate through enemy territory by bombing through the press, and use your strong weapons -- your Big Guns -- to drive to the hole. Shoot with accuracy; aim high and remember it takes blood, sweat and tears to win," - Sarah Palin