Posted on 01/10/2011 11:38:41 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
I loathe Sarah Palin as much as anyone else, but I'm not blaming her for inciting Jared Loughner to go on his shooting spree in Tucson. I'm equally unimpressed with the argument that the nastiness of political debate in America inspired Loughner to pull the trigger.
I welcome the discussion of America's toxic political culture – the quality of debate there, especially around health care, has been distressingly low. Time for media reps to do a little soul-searching. But, sorry, FOX news didn't give Loughner the tools to carry out his tragic plan.
And I'm amazed at how quickly analysts jumped to the conclusion that there's a connection between Palin's aggressive politicking on the Tea Party website, which puts liberal elected representatives – including shooting victim Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords – in a graphic representing crosshairs. Hard-core journalists should know better. Until the contents of Loughner's computer are examined, we don't know whether Loughner ever looked at the site or if he's even a Tea Party supporter.
Don't get me wrong. I'm glad the Tea Party's seen fit to pull down the famous map targetting liberal politicians and I'm appalled by Palin's personal celebration of guns and their metaphors – as in her slogan "Don't retreat. Reload".
But Loughner is a product of gun culture and so is Palin. America's problem is not its politicians, it's all about guns and the Second Amendment. The right to own guns is deeply embedded in American life. There is no process in place to prevent unhinged characters like Loughner from packing and there won't be any until the National Rifle Association and its trigger-happy gang lose their influence and the constitution's Second Amendment is reconsidered.
Ironically, Giffords herself, though she received only a D+ rating from the NRA, voted for legislation that praised the NRA and its feeble Eddie Eagle Gun Safety program. And, as she commented fearlessley, when her constituency offices were threatened last year, "I own a glock pistol, and I'm a good shot."
Pointing to Palin does as much good in explaining this tragedy as dismissing Loughner as a crackpot. Opinions don't kill people, mental instability doesn't kill people. A poisonous political environment doesn't kill people. Guns do.
If Americans want to do some soul searching, they should take a good long look at their constitution.
...
What is the saying?? (I’m sure there is a better one):
If guns kill people then pencils cause misspelled words.
So it was the GUN’S fault!!! I guess that means Loughner grabbed the pistol in an attempt to PREVENT it from going off and was unjustly accused of the crime!!!!
If I lived alone I would own a gun and know how to use it.As a law-abiding citizen I have the right to own a gun to protect myself,as does every law-abiding citizen.
I’m certain that the left is drooling over the possibility that Giffords will be the Jim Brady for the 21st century.
Can't allow this event to pass without getting SOMETHING out of it.
People don’t kill people, Guns Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Knives Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Pointy Sticks Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Poisons Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Electricity Kills People.
People don’t kill people, Water Kills People.
People don’t kill people, Blunt Objects Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Ropes Kill People.
People don’t kill people, Hands Kill People.
People don’t kill people, [noun] Kills People, where [noun] was involved in a previous death of a person.... So we need to ban [noun].
Why don’t we ban every single thing that could kill someone, then we can all live in Nerf lined caves starving to death because the objects used for making food are banned cause they could kill someone...
I’m sure that Satan has a special position waiting for her on the board of demons!
Enjoy eternity, you flaming ball of sh#t from hell!
You Molon Labe guys, stop it, you’re killing me! The vision of that Canadian lesbian hag coming to take our guns away is too funny.
Private gunowners in just my libtard state of Washington are enough to take out the Canadian Army. Heck, we have enough small boats, we could take out their navy too. And those CFAC jets, they have to land sometime.
To Susan Cole:
Loathe Sarah Palin as much as anyone else?
As ANYONE else?
You mean like any card-carrying liberal. You just can’t help starting out with a lie can you?
And let’s be clear, you moron: The great sheriff of Pima County, with all of his official government guns (the kind you love so much), and all of his foreknowledge of the dangers to Giffords, and of the fact that Loughner was unstable and hate-filled, still wasn’t able to stop this crime.
Does McGill University ring a bell?
Bottom feeding one-cells like you have screwed up your country enough. Stay the hell out of ours.
To Susan Cole:
Loathe Sarah Palin as much as anyone else?
As ANYONE else?
You mean like any card-carrying liberal. You just can’t help starting out with a lie can you?
And let’s be clear, you moron: The great sheriff of Pima County, with all of his official government guns (the kind you love so much), and all of his foreknowledge of the dangers to Giffords, and of the fact that Loughner was unstable and hate-filled, still wasn’t able to stop this crime.
Does McGill University ring a bell?
Bottom feeding one-cells like you have screwed up your country enough. Stay the hell out of ours.
One look and it’s easy to understand why she loathes Sarah.
“Known for taking provocative stances.”
Known for having a face that would stop a clock.
They always want gun control, never murderer control.
Ms. Cole needs to keep her opinions and her butt in Canada where they belong. This is America. We don’t need no steenking gun control here. If it wasn’t for the 190 million gun owners here Obama would already have declared Martial law and installed his Maxist regime. Count on it.
"Susan, you ignorant slut!"
There is no process in place to prevent unhinged characters like Loughner from packing and there won't be any until the National Rifle Association and its trigger-happy gang lose their influence and the constitution's Second Amendment is reconsidered.
Mexico has some of the most stringent gun control laws in the world. Drive across the border with a single round of military caliber ammunition (9mm, for instance) and you'll wind up in jail for YEARS!
Yet the murder rate in Mexico is one of the highest in the world! You can't keep criminals from killing someone once they've decided they want to do it.
The only way to ensure that this sort of thing can't happen is to institute a tyrannical government that treats everyone as a potential assassin. And even then, there's no guarantee.
Mark
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.