Monday, January 10, 2011

TUCSON TRAGEDY

What is there to say?  After all the bluster, finger-pointing, accusations and heated rhetoric surrounding the tragic events in Tucson on Saturday, it's time to step back, shake my head and try to be sane and logical about this situation.

A moderate Democrat and several others were gunned down by a maniac. The accusations hurled against the violent metaphors and rhetoric spewing from talk radio on the right and certain politicos were not misguided.  While those responsible for such incendiary talk may not be directly involved, they must take some responsibility for insinuating the results that occurred.  Putting cross hairs on a map with someone's name; saying someone should be killed; intimating that those who don't agree with you are not patriotic and are un-American, indicating a "second amendment solution" etc. are beyond the pale of intelligent discourse.

Whether or not the shooter proves to be a bona fide lunatic with severe mental problems, the fact remains that somewhere, somehow a seed was planted which produced the Tucson devastation.  It means every one of us must understand that once words leave our mouths, they cannot be taken back, they can be taken literally, they can prove to be lethal. 

While Democrats and Republicans, both, have hurled hateful words at each other, the Republicans have honed that practice into their specialty.  Their words are more vitriolic, menacing, outlandish, and hateful then ever before.  They have shown little respect for others' opinions when differing from their own.  Even after the tragedy they back peddle about things they have said, assailing Democrats and liberals as the ones who are responsible.  Many Republicans/conservatives are just unable to accept that they may be even partly responsible.  They are outlandish in their lies, belligerent, militant, confrontational, trigger-happy suck-ups who are venal to the core.

So, I tried to be sane and logical and I failed.  I just can't get my head around the asinine remarks coming from the Right, no acknowledgment of the possibility of a mea culpa, only finger-pointing to and blaming the Left.  Republicans are not the stuff of which this country should be made.  They are too self-centered, narrow-minded and parochial.

We MUST learn from this tragedy that unless we become more tolerant of others' views as having merit, learn how to compromise, help those who need it while bolstering our educational system, health care system and economy without the prejudice that is so prevalent, we are doomed as a nation.

4 comments:

  1. It was AZ Sheriff Dupnik who made wild accusations with absolutely zero evidence. This to me was incendiary. He should be sticking to facts in an interview and not voicing his obviously biased opinion.

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  2. Sheriff Dupnik voiced what a lot of people believe. These are not wild accusations. What do you think "Second Amendment Solutions (Sharon Angle) means? What exactly do you think Glen Beck meant when he said he would like to kill Michael Moore? What do you think "Lock and Load" really means? To most people, crosshairs indicate a point of focus in a gun sight for use in aiming. People who are already on or over the edge may take these things literally and act on them. The point is vitriolic metaphors have no place in political discourse...from either side. The sheriff, surrounded by the chaos of the tragedy spoke from his heart and he should not be faulted.

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  3. This link discusses 2 maps with targets that predate Sarah Palin's map. These are Democratic maps.
    http://www.verumserum.com/?p=13647

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  4. This is it? This is what you cite? Apparently you didn’t really get the point of this particular blog. While I might harangue more about Republicans (and I’m not wrong about that) you missed the essence of the piece. Pay particular attention to the 3rd paragraph, last sentence and the last paragraph, especially the first 12 words.

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