After January 8, 2011 in Arizona, What Now?

Talking heads are asking, "What was the cause of the tragedy in Arizona and how can we prevent it in the future?"

U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ

Most everyone mentions better regulating guns and banning extended ammunition clips, repairing an imperfect mental health care system, and toning down violence-inciting rhetoric and imagery.  Out of these three, what can we do right now? The issue of hate-filled speech, raised by victim Gabrielle Giffords (YouTube) herself over the past year, is the simplest to work on right now—assuming, of course, that those who spew vitriol recognize that threatening, belligerent speech does, indeed, have consequences.

We must disavow and eradicate inflammatory, bullet-riddled imagery in political speech. That was the main issue that Sheriff Clarence Dupnik raised in his initial comments to the press shortly after the mass shooting event. Isn't it credible that a manufactured climate of despair and fear, along with not-so-subtle urgings for patriotic citizens to take matters into their own hands, played a part in the Arizona massacre and assassination?

Some in the public eye are using this time for introspection, for self-examination, by looking to see where they may have contributed to the tinderbox climate.  Keith Olbermann offered a heartfelt special comment, along with others (such as Bob Schieffer) who seem to have taken this sickening incident in Tucson to heart.

Then there are those who can't seem to find enough ways to deny their own contributions to the volatile rhetoric:

Sarah Palin for example...

And Rush Limbaugh of course.

Some even double down by fomenting further hate, fear and aggression like Glenn Beck.

I'm so crushed by these events.  It's all I can do to keep from crying again and again for what could have been: a future for the innocent victims who perished, whether they were a judge or a young girl or a retiree or a Congressional staffer; freedom from devastating trauma for the injured; intervention for the apparent shooter who didn't get help when it was needed. 

It is not yet too late, though, to call out anyone who profited from creating and perpetuating the venomous political climate in which we find ourselves, in an effort to get them to stop.  It is what we can do, right now.





Recommended:

Let's Get This Straight 
from Shakesville

What the Right Gains From Poisoning Our Political Discourse and Inspiring Violence
from Alternet

Was Jared Loughner's Act Political?
from Cenk Uygur

Now Is the Time for All Good Men...

Okay.  I've been struggling for days about whether or not, how or not to talk about the decimated Republican Party.  Let's face it.  GW Bush destroyed his party.  It's not like he was new to destroying things... just look back at his career in business and sports.

The people spoke loudly in the election of 2008, and even 2004 (except the presidential race which I firmly believe was stolen).  No more Republican hypocrites.  No more war-mongering congresspersons firmly and fastly in the pockets of war profiteers.  No more lying us into wars or hiding anti-constitutional endeavors like spying on US citizens.

But enough is enough.

First of all, I value and cherish a good debate about fiscal policy, social grants, and taxes.  I listened with great appreciation to Ron Paul.  I agree with Ron Paul that it is NOT the province of our country to spread itself across the globe, militarily, to be saviours bearing "democratic" principles.  What right do we have to assassinate or decapitate in one way or another, the leaders of other countries!?  How dare we tell largely Muslim nations that they have to accept Christ as their saviour?  Where the hell do we get off saying if we don't like the policies your country adopts, we will invade you?

All that does is engender fear and hatred of us.  And then, that gives rise to massive defense spending and super fear-mongering on the part of certain agencies in our government.  And that, in turn, stimulates Blackwater and Halliburton and whoever else benefits from "defense" spending.

Now, back to the big, black-wrapped, bombastic, blowhard known as Rush Limbaugh.  He is only getting press now because the Republican party is wiped out.  Done for.  Decimated.

The Republican Party self-destructed because it (for some unknown reason) hitched its star to GW Bush.  Now that Bush is past tense, the Party has had no compunction in bashing him and his administration.  But they have no one to stand up instead.

My personal opinion as to why Steele got RNC leader?  Because no one else in their right minds would have wanted to scrape the walls and try to pull together a re-made party.

So, in the absence of any reasonable, true-to-principle leader, everyone kowtows to Rush.  Remember, Rush is a drug addict.  Rush is an uncontrollable mouth.  Rush is known to favor young boys.  Rush was caught with sex drugs as he crossed a border.  Rush is a blowhard, he is a babbitt who seems to think that corporations will ensure the success of middle and lower class individuals.  There is no evidence to support this notion.

Rush is misogynistic.  He is a racist.  He cares about his ratings, and to hell with you.

Maybe why this strikes a chord with me is that my own mother, now dead, was a ditto-head.  She had a small gas station / convenience store in her later life.  She put up hand-made signs in the store, welcoming ditto-heads.  When her husband died, we (my brother and I) moved her up to where we both lived.  After we found her a house to buy, she told my children not to darken her doorstep again ... even though I put her up in my own house for 5 months while she searched for her own place.  All because we leaned Democratic.

Now is the time for all good Republicans (I know you are out there!) to come to the aid of your (decimated) party.  Don't be shy and don't be put off by the engorged blowhard.  The times we face are serious.  The decisions we have to make are not a game -- this is NOT a football match.  This is a life-threatening, honest-to-god grave situation we face, whether you come at it from politics, environment, security, finances, or human decency.  Stand up please.  Tell Rush that he does NOT speak for you.  Tell Rush you will not bend over and grab your ankles so he can have his way with you.  Show some spine!!!