Victor Davis Hanson, The Washington Times
Very few Americans are fans of both The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf, as 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, the purported Tucson killer, apparently was. Fewer still post on the Internet fears about “brainwashing,” “mind control,” and “conscience dreaming”; have long records of public disruption and aberrant behavior; were expelled from community college; or were rejected summarily for military service.
No matter. Almost immediately following Mr. Loughner’s cowardly killing of six and wounding of 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, pundits and some public figures rushed to locate his rampage, together with his paranoid rantings about government control, within the larger landscape of right-wing politics – especially the rhetoric of the Tea Party and Sarah Palin.
Apparently, we are supposed to believe that Mr. Loughner’s unhinged rants about the “government” indict those who express reasonable reservations about the size of government as veritable accessories to mass murder. The three worst offenders were Paul Daly of the New York Daily News, who claimed just that in an essay with the raging headline “The blood of Congresswoman Giffords was on Sarah Palin’s hands”; the ubiquitous Paul Krugman, who connected Mr. Loughner to the supposedly Republican-created “climate of hate”; and Andrew Sullivan, who thought he saw yet another avenue through which to further his own blind antipathy toward Mrs. Palin and “the Palin forces.” In their warped syllogism, the Tea Party unquestionably creates hatred; a congresswomen was shot out of hatred; ergo, the Tea Party and/or the Republican Party all but pulled the trigger…
There is much talk that Mrs. Palin’s “cross hairs” ad pushed Mr. Loughner over the edge. But if sloppy use of gun metaphors can drive anyone to shoot congressional representatives, think what we are up against when the president of the United States invokes violent imagery to galvanize his supporters. What are we to make of President Obama’s warning of “hand-to-hand combat” if the Republicans take over or of his comment that one of his supporters could “tear [Sean Hannity] up” or his “Untouchables” boast that “if they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun” or his advice to supporters of his presidential campaign to argue with Republicans and independents and “get in their face”?
Why would a president boast about figuring out “whose ass to kick” or, in a climate of fear about terrorism, call his opponents “hostage takers”? In a post-Sept. 11 world, is it prudent for the commander in chief to say of his political opponents, “Here’s the problem: It’s almost like they’ve got – they’ve got a bomb strapped to them and they’ve got their hand on the trigger. You don’t want them to blow up”? What about, “But you’ve got to kind of talk to them, ease that finger off the trigger”?
Also, in a political twofer, Mr. Obama once not only evoked gun imagery, but did so in a context of relegating Republicans to second-class citizenry: “We can’t have special interests sitting shotgun. We gotta have middle class families up in front. We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.”
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I believe some of the problem starts in the classroom where these radical, communist, progressive high school teachers and college professors are teaching our kids what they believe in, while NOT teaching, American history, and about our founders, the Constitution and patriotism in the classroom. Instead they are teaching our young people communism, fascism, and terrorism. Just look at all the people who surround Obama, who were themselves radical nut jobs and are now professors teaching their beliefs to our students. These teachers and professors need to be removed from the classrooms before they do anymore harm.
THIS CLASSROOM AND LEFTISTS TEACHERS ARE THE START OF THE PROBLEM OVER ALL USA.THAT MEANS MCPHERSON IS A BIG TROUBLE MAKER AS WELL. SINCE O BUM SHUIT THINKS THIS IS OK-HE BETTER WATCH FOR THE NUTS OF HIS KIND.THERE WILL BE SQUIRRELS LOOKING FOR THESE NUTS OF O BUM SHUIT!!!!!
The liberal/regressives have to wait to hear what their master Obama has to say, so they will know if they are on the right track with their condemnation of the conservatives. Only Obama knows the thinking skills necessary to get into the mind of the killer, because he thinks just like him. Obama kills anything, and everything good!
Didn't the Democratic party have certain states in their crosshairs for the elections several years ago? Or is that OK because it was the left and not the right?
Why is it the right "incites violence" and the left "discourse" when the following statements were made by the POTUS:
Obama: “They Bring a Knife…We Bring a Gun”
Obama to His Followers: “Get in Their Faces!”
Obama on ACORN Mobs: “I don’t want to quell anger. I think people are right to be angry! I’m angry!”
Obama “Hit Back Twice As Hard”
Obama "We talk to these folks… so I know whose ass to kick.
Obama “Republican victory would mean “hand to hand combat”
Obama “It’s time to Fight for it.”
Obama “Punish your enemies.”
Obama “I’m itching for a fight.”
Obama, "We don't mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back."
Wasn't it this POTUS who insulted the SCJUS who sat directly in front of him at his first address in the Congressional Chambers?
Wasn't it this POTUS who sat for 20 years in the church filled with hate by Jeremiah Wright who cursed America and white citizens?
Wasn't it the liberal/progressives who made mockery of President Bush, hung him in effigy, called him a traitor, threatened his and Cheney's lives, produced a film in which President Bush was assassinated, etc., etc.? But I guess those actions are fine because they're the liberal left. What ABSOLUTE HYPOCRISY!
Where is the proof that the nut listened to Rush (Fox) or watched the network? It seems our nation is seeing a lot more violence under this fraudulent government. Those that carry out the violence have nothing to fear from this government because this government comes to the aid of the lawbreaker, not the law-enforcer. Look at the corruption of the AG in the Black Panther case, Arizona, Ft. Hood.
An example needs to be set so that these criminals think twice before committing such an atrocity.
I listened to Rush yesterday and I like his take on this. This "sheriff" is trying to hide something and deflect blame off of him so he is trying very hard to stir up the pot. This lunatic gunman has been stalking Gabrielle Giffords since 2007 (even before the tea party movement). According to first hand reports, teachers he had were afraid to turn around to the blackboard for fear he make take out a gun any moment and shoot them. It is unacceptable for a teacher or students to feel such fear in their classrooms. I'm sure there are many files on this guy in the sheriff's office. An easy scapegoat-the tea party, talk shows, Sarah Palin. All eyes and blame should now be upon the sheriff and his department to cast blame and aspersion on him. We need to call our Congressman and demand that they investigate this sheriff: he is the most to blame for this, I am sure. I go along with Rush on this!
This is all so inane, making scapegoats of American patriots who love their country. THis is all PC run amok-
maybe I won't shop at Target anymore because of their bullseye logo – maybe Sheriff Stupid should go after
that incendiary big box or finally admit that he is a big part of the problem in this country…
What can you expect from those confused same sex loving liberals?AMERICA has been awakened, and their LIES aren't believed anymore, than SHARPton' ramblings about racism.
I believe there is a problem that starts in the classroom where some of these radical, communist, progressive high school teachers and college professors are teaching our kids what they believe in, while NOT teaching, HONEST and TRUE American history, and about our founders, the Constitution and patriotism in the classroom. Instead they are teaching our young people communism, Marxism, fascism, radicalism and terrorism. Just look at all the people such as Bill Ayres and Bernardine Dohrn, Frances Fox Piven, Van Jones, Joel Rogers and many, many others who surround Obama, who were themselves radical nut jobs and are now professors teaching their beliefs to our students. How can these people be in these positions? These teachers and professors need to be removed from the classrooms before they do anymore harm.
drjohn, hi, he is transparent in deialng with the MIDDLE EAST,he will remove a leader by helping who he support, but don’t know to have intent to be better or worse toward AMERICA,that is the question in supporting the worse by feeding it to become one country within all; A GIANT MONSTER, helped by our own defenders of freedom send by OUR GOVERNMENT. a monster who will ruled by faith alone and programed by milleniums of years to follow one goal;RULE THE WORLD BY INFILTATION AND LAST BY ARMAGEDON.Reply