Re-posted from my 'Tucker Everblasting' blog at Insiderlouisville.com:
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.
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. One didn’t have to own a crystal ball to see what was coming.
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 should be, to preserve their own standing – or what is left of it – unilaterally condemning these types of actions. Considering that the far right has stoked the flames of violence to this degree is sickening.
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.”
