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Tea Party not to blame for shooting rampage
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by YankeeJim | January 10, 2011 at 12:27 pm
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Let’s consider the suspects:
1. The Pima college student that showed up in class and posed a threat to safety such that teachers and students reported and wrote about their concerns
2. The Pima administration that expelled the student and who apparently didn’t report the circumstances to local police
3. Federal law enforcement officials who failed to advise the judge to retain their protection services after 200 viable threats
4. Local police who had an active investigation into numerous threats against the congresswoman after someone threw a brick through her office window, among having made numerous telephone threats
5. The politically charged atmosphere led by the likes of Sarah Palin among others who raised the tempo to a level of personal attacks and beyond
6. Political parties that made the government and government officials the enemy of citizens instead of their servants
Were the victims to blame for showing up at a community rally to engage their elected officials in peaceful communication somehow at fault?
How about the wild state of Arizona that has become a bastion for right-wing radical behavior?
I blame the unthinking electorate that failed to draw the line against hate that has become, in the eyes of the world, an American criminal state of being. It was from the teapot that we heard racism, discrimination against gays, and cries of socialism and other name-calling including underlining the President’s middle name. Come on.
“Stop blaming the Tea Party for the Arizona tragedy
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
After the attempted car bombing in Times Square last year, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg publicly speculated that the attack had been carried out by "somebody with a political agenda that doesn't like the health-care bill or something." At the Nation, columnist Robert Dreyfuss wrote that "a member of some squirrely branch of the Tea Party, anti-government far right" was probably behind the bombing. Countless others in the left-wing blogosphe rejoined the "blame the Tea Party" chorus - until it was disclosed that the perpetrator of the attack was not a Tea Party supporter but a Taliban-trained Islamic radical. Whoops.
Over the weekend, the Tea Party detractors were at it again - this time blaming the movement for the tragic shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 19 others. Within hours of the attack, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman had issued his own (admittedly) unfounded verdict: "We don't have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was . . . she's a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist." So Tea Party activists are prepared to kill those they cannot defeat at the polls?
Left-wing bloggers and commentators blamed the attack on Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin because she had "targeted" Giffords for defeat during the 2010 elections. The New York Daily News published acolumn headlined "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' blood is on Sarah Palin's hands after putting cross hair over district." And an hour after Giffords was shot, Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas actually tweeted: "Mission accomplished, Sarah Palin." He conveniently failed to mention that his Daily Kos had put a "bull's eye" (their words) on Giffords in 2008 - including her on a list of centrist Democrats who should be "targeted" in Democratic primaries. Mission accomplished, Markos?”
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (14)
at 13:34 on January 10th, 2011
Free range stupidity is to blame.
at 13:42 on January 10th, 2011
The guy was Crazy, End of Story!
at 14:57 on January 10th, 2011
Nope...community, parents, teachers, fellow students, politicians....everyone is a part of the safety net.
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"thirty-aught-six" (not verified)at 14:17 on January 10th, 2011
Democrats engaged in 'personal attacks' as much this author attempts to place the onus on Sarah Palin and are wholly party to the systemic 'political rhetoric' and negative political atmosphere. The continued attacks on, and 'blaming' of recent events on Sarah Palin and the Tea Party by the political left and their media ought to be proof enough for any free thinker.
at 14:59 on January 10th, 2011
Agreed that many liberals including me hate George W. Bush and Dick Cheney for their actions. The right wing hated Obama before he could act -- preemptive hating I guess.
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"thirty-aught-six" (not verified)at 16:45 on January 10th, 2011
Not anymore so than the 'preemptive' hate campaign against GW which began during his election run up, and for the continued personal assaults against him over the following eight years. The key difference between the two being that the Republicans didn't idolize GW or set him up to be JFK, MLK, and Jesus Christ all rolled into one as Democrats and the left have done with Obama. I believe you recently used the term 'beloved' when referencing Obama. The American electorate have stopped 'gushing'. Obama has proven to be nothing more than Bush lite.
at 19:32 on January 10th, 2011
Why not preemptive hate for President Obama, Jim? After all, it was a preemptive conspiratorial plan hatched at his birth that got him in the White House, didn't you know!
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منتديات اهل الفوركس (not verified)at 15:19 on January 10th, 2011
this is a good postguy was crazy
at 15:27 on January 10th, 2011
Thank you. I agree he was nuts.
at 19:29 on January 10th, 2011
Among that " .... free range stupidity", former Alaskan Republican governor and former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's target map with crosshairs on Democratic candidates and all the conservative and Right Wing's use of gun terminology, suggesting the use considering gun rights, in an unintelligible context, as a form of a solution when elections don't go your way (Republican Sharron Angle, running for senator in Arizona), don't retreat, reload (also Palin), advising voters be armed and dangerous (Republican Representative Michele Bachmann in Minnesota), etc. as dog whistle prompts for rousing crowds.
'The Left and Right are equally culpable' lie being parroted by the Right is nonsense. No officials or members of the Democratic Party, with so called liberal or leftist leanings, have made any of the reckless and irresponsibly loaded comments that have been by many among the Republican Party and its leadership over the past 4 years.
at 07:02 on January 11th, 2011
Thank you for those factual contributions Karen. Sarah Palin should be held accountable as was Randolph Hearst for running a story that encouraged the assassination of President McKinley. The assassin carried a copy of the story in his pocket.
at 19:39 on January 10th, 2011
Source: newyorker.com
at 03:53 on January 11th, 2011
Yes, the President won the election handily and it was because We the People liked his agenda. We the People, the majority of us, still do. Not all of us liked the quality of the legislative product, nor did we like the strong-armed and arrogant leadership that failed to deliver. The list remains undone.
MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED
at 09:04 on January 11th, 2011
Yes, very well written Karen. I must concur. Thank you for that ! In addition to your comments, let me add Republican Joe Wilson calling President Obama a 'liar' in a nationally televised joint congressional session was an added cincher for me.
As for Tea Party or Sarah Palin being ( in someway ) responsible for Jared Loughner attempted murder of Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the argument could be made that possible recent heighten political rhetoric influenced Loughner actions ( since he did target a state political representative ). As to what and who possibly influenced Loughner actions, will be a question for prosecutors to ask Loughner.