Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist, asked the following question yesterday in his column called, Climate of Hate:
When you heard the terrible news from Arizona, were you completely surprised? Or were you, at some level, expecting something like this atrocity to happen?
Sadly, just as Krugman wasn't surprised, I was not surprised. Even if there is no direct link between the alleged assassin Jared Lee Loughner and any political group, I suspect that the climate of toxic politics - filled with violent metaphors and imagery - at the very least, tangentially inspired Loughner's demented rage.
My other observation, what type of society do we have when a mentally deranged person can walk into a gun shop and purchase a very dangerous weapon that can unleash over 30 shots in seconds? This was the same type of assault weapon banned during the Clinton presidency until 2004 (the assault weapon ban was allowed to expire under Bush, even though, police agencies around the country supported the ban).
Finally, how long will this event, shocking if not surprising, bring us together and say enough, (in the words of Gabrielle Gifford's brother-in-law) we can do better.
I AGREE "WE CAN DO BETTER" WE SEEM TO BE MOVING BACKWARDS IN A WORLD WHERE TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD, WE AS A PEOPLE ARE SO CAUGHT UP IN POLITICAL REDERICT RELATIONS SEEM TO BE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, IT'S AMAZING HOW WHEN ONE PARTY LOSES IT'S FOOTING HOW FAR THEY WILL GO TO CHANGE WHAT WAS ONCE THE MINORITY TO TAKE CONTROL, THE SMALL MINDS THAT FEEL AS IF THOUGH SOMEONE IS TAKING THERE COUNTRY FROM THEM.
ReplyDeleteIT'S A SAD DAY AND I SEE THE BITTERNESS AND THE THE HATRED IN THE EYES AND FACES OF THOSE PARTY MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN RENAMED WHEN THERE PARTY LOST IT'S FOOTINGS, CLAIMING THEY WERE NEW, THE PARTY OF TEA. YET GRAVEL LIKE CHILDREN, PREFERRING THAT ONLY A PORTION OF US ARE FAVORED, RATHER THAN THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE, BUT LET'S GO DEEPER, LOOK WHAT THIS IS DOING TO OUR COUNTRY, IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RADICALS ATTEMPTING TO TERRORIZE OUR COUNTRY, THE RIGHT AND LEFT PEANUT GALLERIES ARE
WANTING TO BECOME A PART OF THE FIGHT, WHEN WE ALL CAN SEE THAT IN MOST CASES THEY ARE LESS THAN STABLE. EDGED ON BY WORDS THAT ARE FOR THE MOST PART, FICTITIOUS AND MISLEADING. DO WE NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE VULNERABLE AND WILL FEED INTO THIS PROPAGANDA. OR IS THAT OUR GREAT STRATEGY, TO LEAD, HE WANTS THE POWER, SHE WANTS THE POWER, TO LEAD, BUT LEAD US WHERE?
Tigga
Not surprise at the least . With hatred at a all time high between the two parties. I will not be surprised to see other atrocities in the near future.
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