TRAGEDY AND TRUTH by T. Edwin Perry
On January 8, 2011, Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az) was shot, allegedly by a lone gunman by the name of Jared Loughner. Giffords has served in the US House of Representatives since her election in 2006, and is reportedly 100% Pro Choice, voted for the Obama Healthcare Reform, and is a supporter of 2nd Amendment Gun Rights. In addition to the seriously injured Giffords, 18 others were hit, killing six, including a nine-year-old girl and Federal Judge by the name of John Roll, who had been apppointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Roll had received death threats as a result of his ruling in 2009 regarding a Civil Rights Lawsuit filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund against an Arizona Rancher who had held 16 Illegal Immigrants trespassing on his property at gunpoint while awaiting the Border Patrol.
These are all facts. There is nothing in what I have just written that is an opinion. What follows is, and I will make no apology for what I am about to write. You see, I want to be clear that these are MY opinions. They don’t belong to Glenn Beck, or Rush Limbaugh, or Keith Olbermann, or anyone other than myself. They may share my opinion, but these are my words.
First, my condolences to the families of Ms. Giffords and Judge Roll, as well as the other injured and dead. There is absolutely NO EXCUSE for this type of violence. This was the act of a COWARD, not a patriot. There is absolutely no motivation that can justify this type of cowardly attack on innocent people. If the evidence proves out and he is found guilty of this atrocity, I believe that Jared Loughner should face the absolute steepest penalty available under the law. If that is death, then so be it! Let his death be a lesson to anyone else who would follow in his footsteps.
Second, SHAME on the Cowards on BOTH sides of the media who are scrambling to point the finger of blame at one another to account for this act of senseless violence. The Liberals want to blame the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and other Conservative Voices who oppose the actions of the Left, while the Right Wing is scrambling to associate this vile example of the worst in humanity with the Radical Left Socialist/Progressive side of the argument. My advice to both sides is to stop the rhetoric for a freakin’ minute and TAKE A STEP BACK! If you must point the finger of blame at someone, point it at Jared Loughner! Don’t give him an excuse to use in a trial. “Oh, I was just a peaceful fly on the wall until (ENTER TARGET HERE) told me what to think, and then I had to act.” Dumbass!!!
Third, SHAME on the Cowardly Public who is busy debating why Loughner acted. You want to know why he shot up a crowd of people, killed six and seriously wounded a United States Representative? If he did it, it’s probably because there’s something seriously WRONG with him! That’s right: I’m not alleging that he’s got a screw loose. I’m telling you flat out that, if he did this, he is hardwired for STUPID! Sometimes, people do bad things because they are BAD PEOPLE. It has nothing to do with some disembodied voice on the radio, a talking head on the television, or the idiotic ramblings found in some book. Bad things happen and the Bad People who do them are responsible. End of Story.
When are people going to figure it out that FUELING the fire of hate through this type of rhetoric is not going to fix the problem. You’re pouring gasoline on a fire and expecting not to get burned. I’m not saying don’t speak out about the issues, but please STOP exploiting tragedies to advance your own personal agendas.
There is absolutely nothing CONSERVATIVE about that!
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