America Weeps with Arizona

By: Pamela D. Hart

The power of the press has never been more prominent than it is now with cell phones and texting, Twitter, Facebook, and yes, even blogging. We can get our news instantaneously, 24/7. Devastating news, like the shooting yesterday in Tucson, Arizona of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and at least a dozen others, leaving a 9 year old child dead, has spread through the waves in short order.

Along with the devastating news, we have political pundits and their predictions without facts. The gunman, Jared Lee Laughner, was a right-wing loon who listened to talk-radio; he was a Palin follower who saw her map with the bull’s eyes and decided to take violent action; and of course, any time there is a shooting spree, we must repeal the second amendment, or at least have stricter gun control laws, because guns kill!

I suppose it’s only natural for people to assume this is political in nature considering a politician has been shot and now lies in ICU. I also assume it’s normal for people to jump to conclusions considering six people died yesterday, one being an innocent 9 year old girl, Christina Taylor Green, which leaves most people emotionally distressed. And for many, when emotions are running high, it doesn’t leave much room for rationale or logic.

We’ve also been in a highly charged political climate of late with our elected officials bickering and telling us that the other side is the “enemy” (and shame on them for using such rhetoric), or the “opposition” is bad, evil in some cases, so is it any wonder the American people look upon anyone with a differing opinion as the adversary? Is it any wonder people suspect any type of violence upon a politician as a Right-wing conspiracy when it is common knowledge that the Right is known for its belief in smaller government? But is that a good enough reason to blame someone else rather than the lunatic who actually committed the murder? Or in this case, the Domestic Terrorism?

I realize it’s easy to cast blame on O’Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh and Palin. After all, they are public figures who monopolize our airwaves and a lot of people take what they say as gospel, never once questioning their words or researching on their own what these public figures say. But to blame these people for the actions of others is taking it a bit far, in my opinion. That’s like saying a gun killed, when in fact, it was the person holding the gun who did the actual killing. Oh, yes, I know, O’Reilly, Beck, Palin, et al. promote violence with their WORDS—but do they, REALLY? Or are they only voicing THEIR beliefs, which don’t mesh with everyone, therefore vilifying them with those that don’t agree, or even hate them? What will happen if one day someone from the Left shoots and kills one of THEM? Will the Right then come out and blame the Left for promoting violence? It will be a no -win situation with a bunch of dead people. Violence and hatred only beget violence and hatred.

So, WHO is the REAL villain? The Right? The Left? The Government? The Public? Or this Jared Lee Loughner, a disturbed individual who decided one day to go on a shooting spree because he is a lunatic and killing six people and injuring a dozen more fit into his fanatical agenda?

I’ll NEVER understand Loughner and his ilk. Nor do I want to. I don’t want to know what’s going on in the mind of a killer. I only know I never want to be in a situation where I have to make a split second decision that could save me from a bullet. And if I do, I hope I’m fast enough.

My heart goes out to the families of the injured and the deceased of this horrific tragedy. May Gabrielle Giffords survive and fully recover. May sweet Christina Taylor Green rest in peace and may her parents one day find solace. And may we, as a country, find our compassion, dignity, and common sense.