The dreadful shooting spree near Tucson yesterday was carried out by a lone nutjob. That is a fact. His target was newly elected congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a direct shot through her brain. No telling what condition she will be in. Six others died, including a 9 year-old girl.
The NRA and its supporters continue their mad insistence on guns, guns for all, no matter how many or how powerful. They are clearly in the wrong and the cowardice of politicians to take a stand in favor of sanity is appalling. Gun control is not the banning of guns any more than driving laws are bans on driving.
Celebrity and power seeking types like Sarah Palin must at some point be held accountable for their words and behavior as public personalities. Strident vitriol in which violent behavior is hinted at or encouraged has no place in public discourse. Like it or not, it emanates more from deeply conservative elements of this society. Liberals can be as dimwitted and clueless and conniving as any others, but the hate-mongering is more prevalent on the right. That is how it is and the equivocating presented by the media needs to be corrected. That is, those who spread hate must be held accountable.
Until recently, Sarah Palin’s web site featured a map showing Democratic districts represented by those she held in disregard. And how did she mark those districts? With the easily recognizable symbol for the crosshair of a rifle. Congresswoman Gifford is at the left.
Palin also likes to use the term “reload” in reference to political reprisal.
This may have played no part in this tragedy in Arizona.
I believe that it did.
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