Hi everyone! After an extended weekend due to snow days, I am happy to finally be back on Present Day Patriots. Quite a bit has transpired since my last post, and today I will discuss a few thoughts surrounding the shooting in Tucson, AZ on January 8, 2011. I have prayed a lot for the families of those who lost their lives and those injured in the shooting, and the continued reports of Representative Gabrielle Giffords’ road to recovery are particularly inspiring. I watched the news and internet headlines in the wake of the shooting, and was disappointed by the high level of politicizing this tragedy received beginning just a few hours after the news broke. I saw that many tried to pin the blame on a specific party or group, and attempted to paint the shooter as a victim himself of the “rhetoric” inflaming talk radio and TV today. This “blame game” played by the mainstream media and its followers made me think.
The shooting in Arizona brought out the best in some people, and the worst in others. I’ll start with the worst; needless to say, first and foremost, the shooter, Jared Loughner. He is obviously believed taking innocent lives was the best way to make his statement (whatever statement that may have been). Former classmates and “friends” have described him as extremely odd, a disturbing class disruption, and generally left-leaning…though it seems politics were not his sole motivation. (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml) I’ll get back to him in a second. But also, I feel, the worst was brought out in Pima County Sherriff Clarence Dupnik. Shortly after the investigation into the massacre began, Dupnik began politicizing the whole thing: "There's reason to believe that this individual [Loughner] may have a mental issue. And I think people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol," he said during his televised remarks. "People tend to pooh-pooh this business about all the vitriol we hear inflaming the American public by people who make a living off of doing that. That may be free speech, but it's not without consequences." First of all, isn’t a Sherriff’s duty to INVESTIGATE, not to SPECULATE? To me he appears to be making excuses for the shooter…just a poor, impressionable guy afflicted by those big bad guys (and gals) on talk radio and the “airwaves” in general speaking their minds. He insinuates that this “vitriol” is inciting violence in listeners. Megyn Kelly of Fox News confronted Dupnik about his opinion on such “vitriol” in a rather interesting interview… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJNKXgAUto For Dupnik, in his position as a public servant, I feel this immediate speculation was highly inappropriate. And I’ll further digress on such supposed “vitriol” in a moment.
The best, though was also brought out in folks that Saturday morning in the Safeway parking lot. Rep. Giffords intern, Daniel Hernandez, ran to the congresswoman’s side immediately after she was shot and applied pressure to her wound, possibly helping save her life. He stayed with her until paramedics arrived, and until they arrived at the hospital. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47307.html Also, Patricia Maisch, a St. Louis native coincidentally, saved an unknown number of lives when she grabbed a magazine away from Loughner as he tried to reload. http://www.kmov.com/news/local/Local-woman-called-hero-in-AZ-shooting-113234379.html Judge John Roll, who was fatally shot, threw himself on top of one of Rep. Giffords’ staff members to shield them from the gunfire, saving their life. http://themoderatevoice.com/98794/tucson-shooting-video-reveals-a-hero-judge-john-m-roll/ Despite the unspeakable tragedy that occurred that day, the selflessness of several brave Americans was revealed and the risk of all and the sacrifice made by of Judge Roll will not soon be forgotten.
Back to Loughner and Sherriff Dupnik... free speech cannot be blamed for this tragedy, nor can the Second Amendment. To be blunt, there is no one to blame for the loss of life and injuries but the man who made the poor, murderous decision to pull the trigger. I strongly believe that stricter restrictions on firearms would not have prevented this...Loughner had his mind set to do what he did, and regardless, he would have found a means of carrying out this despicable act. He did have a record of unlawful activities (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/08/arizona-shooting-suspects-record-showed-minor-offenses/#) so perhaps more discretion in WHO purchases a gun would have made a difference...but this reminds me of a favorite saying...guns don’t kill people, PEOPLE kill people. The firearm Loughner used didn’t just go off by itself, it had help. I saw an interesting comment on Facebook regarding this recently...if guns kill people, pencils misspell words, and cars drive drunk. A gun is like a car; it can be used safely, correctly, and lawfully. But when taken advantage of, the consequences can be deadly. The wrong person can obtain a firearm. The wrong person can also get behind the wheel of a car, intoxicated, under the influence, and do just as much damage.
My last post discussed the controversial revisions of Huckleberry Finn and the omission of key parts of the Constitution in its congressional reading. And so the “language purification” continues... CNN anchor John King apologized on air for a comment a guest made, that comment being “in the cross hairs.” He says they are “trying” to get away from that sort of rhetoric. Now, really...in what language does the term “in the cross hairs” translate to “go shoot someone...NOW!” ?
It’s a phrase. It’s a phrase used every day. Critics without a lick of common sense tried to blame the shooting on Sarah Palin, who used crosshairs on a map of congressmen and women who voted in favor of Obamacare, Rep. Giffords being one of them. A horrible coincidence, yes, but how in the WORLD, based on WHAT logic and reasoning, does this map make Sarah Palin at fault for Jared Loughner’s shooting spree? A man who, as I stated before, has been described as left leaning, with no evidence to show he was a Glenn Beck or Bill O’Reilly (or similar) listener?
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/images/palin-crosshairs.jpg
If we’re going to continue scratching out words and phrases from our English language that could be taken as “offensive” or “violent”...society is going to have to get ready for some big changes. Kids, turn off the cartoons.
I mean look at that violence after just one minute of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. And this is what I grew up on...I’m surprised I’m not locked up and prosecuted by now. And Target will need to be changing their name and logo...that’s insinuating violence if I’ve ever seen it...I mean, a target...wow. Watch out everyone. And my favorite restaurant here in St. Louis, Annie Gunn’s... (gasp!) Gunn’s! That will have to go, too.
Common sense, people. We know better than to believe that cartoons like the one above, phrases like “in the crosshairs” or “oh, shoot!” are the reasons for violence in this country today. We are each ultimately responsible for our own actions. Loughner slipped through the cracks—he was a disturbing disruption in his college classes, he had been caught numerous times with drugs, and accused of other infractions...and it just so happens that his mother worked for Pima County...hmm.
Just for fun, here are just a few examples of “rhetoric” that could be construed as violent from our own fearless leader, and the creepy Frances Fox Piven...
“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun...” –President Barack Obama
President Obama encourages Latinos to “punish our enemies on election day”... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/audio-obama%E2%80%99s-on-gop-to-latinos-punish-your-enemies/
Violence is acceptable, as long as it’s a part of your strategy... http://www.theblaze.com/stories/a-guide-to-the-ideas-and-violent-rhetoric-of-frances-fox-piven/
As I just said, responsibility for our actions lies in no one’s hands but our own. Loughner made a sick decision, and sadly innocent lives were lost as a result. Had there been some parental or law enforcement interference sooner in this man’s life, perhaps this could have been avoided. But honestly, there is no use playing the “what if” game, because what happened has happened, and for those affected it only makes it all the more painful. What we can do, and what I plan to do, is reinforce our personal edicts of PEACEFUL opposition.
Violence is not the answer, ever. Pick up a pen, not a gun. Though we may disagree, both sides of our nation—which is becoming more polarized every day—must remember that we are ultimately all on the same team. It is an understatement to say that discussion and debate through words and writings are far better than mindless riots and blood shed. Though, in keeping our society a peaceful one, we have to keep our heads on straight, and not allow simple words and phrases to be ousted from our vocabulary simply for what they could insinuate or simply for whom they could offend. This is a step backwards in the progress time—we are a better nation that that. We are a better people; we have too much common sense to be offended or pushed to violence by words printed on paper or spoken by a talk show host. As Ghandi said, “Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong.” I’ll shamelessly say that Americans are, arguably, some of the strongest folks around. No matter the situation, we cannot weaken to the whims of the “word police” nor those who say the sword is mightier than the pen. Americans are better than that.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/10/national/main7229463.shtml
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/10/dupnik-friends-critics-remarks-arizona-shooting/
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2011/01/sheriff-dupniks-criticism-of-p.html
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