When I first heard of the mass shooting in Arizona I said to myself another horrific crime with a gun. Terrorist? Anarchist? Disillusioned fool? Someone trying to impress a woman? A seeker of fame? Or more likely… a madman?
Then I heard about the 18 who were shot and the six of them that had died. From a nine year old to a grandmother, a judge and a congresswoman, and those who were unfortunate enough to be in the area. The heartache of the families as the extent of this mini massacre are revealed. I can’t begin to comprehend the anguish of soul.
There are many that put on a consoling face and ask for peace and quiet in this time of tragedy. Is it a mask? For most, no. Yet I have heard a steady stream of who is to blame for providing the fuel that waited for the spark called Jared Loughner. From Sarah Palin’s website with its target symbols to the angry rhetoric voiced in congress and of course conservative talk radio all seem to be brushed as the villains in the story that is building. What did the right do to inflame this man to commit such violence?
What I have found out is that Gabrielle Giffords is what is called a blue dog democrat. A member of the blue dog democrats in the 2010 congress. A moderate that almost dislikes the abuses of the far left as the middle of the road republicans do. A two term server who fought a really tough race to win a third term. She was out at a mall to meet her constituents. One man came to meet with her for a different purpose.
Jared Loughner is not a right wing fanatic. His politics are liberal… I have to think twice on that one. Two of the books he read were Mein Kamph and The Communist Manifesto. Two books of which I have also read. The first taking National Socialism and explaining how to make things happen to gain and hold power to change the course of a nation hemorrhaging life because of the Treaty of Versailles. The other, a political discourse to change a world’s politics, to bring about a workers’ utopia. That also would bring about violent other throw of the status quo. Is this the type of thinking that was going through this man’s mind?
It is said that several years ago Jared had the chance to talk to Gabrielle. He walked away from her disappointed… angry? This blue dog democrat certainly couldn’t understand the aspirations and hopes of this far to the left liberal. How could she? Yet Jared thought she would understand. That in some twisted way they were kindred spirits. After all, look at the Obama and far left democratic agenda. Listen to the lies, manipulation and verbal attacks of the recent campaigns. Pay attention to the politics on the hill. Of course it is unfair. It is also a bit unfair of me to mention it. How about this bit of speech… “if they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” Am I to infer then that Obama, who spoke those words, really meant for a Jared Loughner to take a gun and shoot people who are the opponents of his world vision? Specially those who would put a knife to his dream’s fulfilment? Of course not.
I am the type of man that likes to get the facts of an event before I begin to judge what happened. I try to vet some of the info from both sides of an argument. I wish more people would do that. Too few of us do. With Twitter type apps a word spreads like wildfire (going viral?) And some take it for truth. It does seem that some liberal democrats have found the (political) gun they want to bring to the (political) knife fight. This is sad. We need to lay aside “politics as usual.” We should grieve with the hurting families and for those suffering trauma. The congress should make no attempt to pass a law that will affect everyone because of the crazed(?) act of one individual. Sadly I think they will try. We should not try and stifle free speech. And as much as is in us… we should try to live in peace with those around us. Political discourse does not have to be dirty, trashy, deadly…