"I think the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business and what (we) see on TV and how our youngsters are being raised, that this has not become the nice United States of America that most of us grew up in. And I think it's time that we do the soul-searching," ~Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, Saturday, January 8, 2011, following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford; the killing of U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63; 9 year old, Christina Greene; Dorwin Stoddard, 76, pastor at Mountain Ave. Church of Christ; Dorthy Murray, 76; Phyllis Scheck, 79; Gabe Zimmerman, 30, Giffords' director of community outreach; and twelve others wounded by gunshot from the Glock 19 semiautomatic pistol of Jared Lee Loughner.
On Sunday, today, the Sheriff also said, "When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government--the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous” He also added in response to a question, “And I think that people who are unbalanced are especially susceptible to vitriol."
I agree with him and I have been saying that for a long time now that the hate, bigotry, and inciteful political comments being made in recent time, including Palin's cross-hairs target, are dangerous. Actions like this massacre are likely the result of someone grabbing on to the too- common vitriolic rhetoric in our country, much of it by people in positions that used to generate respect, such as those in politics, those running for political office, such as Palin, or media personalities who most often distort truth. All it takes is for someone who may be angry or a little unstable to find a reason to commit murder.
Palin took her map down from her site, I understand. Maybe feeling a little guilty? And what about Giffords' opponent using this line: Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly and Palin backing him, "Getting on Target," and phrases like that. That is dangerous stuff, and intelligent people in the limelight of the political or media arena should know that.
