Sunday, January 09, 2011

It Was Inevitable

I'm sure all 3 of my readers by now have heard the tragic news about yesterday's fatal shooting incident. A single suspect, apparently targeting Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords, shot and killed 6 people, including both a Federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. The congresswoman herself was seriously wounded, as were 12 others. As of this writing, the congresswoman, who was shot in the head, is in critical condition.

While I am shocked at the incident, I'm really not surprised.

The tone of political rhetoric in this country, not exactly calm before the 2008 election of Barack Obama, exploded after his election. The most extreme conservatives began screaming for the violent overthrow of the government, for states to secede from the union, and for people to take matters into their own hands by killing their political representatives.

Yesterday, one troubled individual apparently decided to act on that last suggestion. And, while the congresswoman herself was not killed (hopefully), all reports indicate that she was the target of the attack.

Also worth noting is that the congresswoman was one of the ones "targeted" by Sarah Palin by her infamous "crosshairs". Today, Ms. Palin has removed the crosshairs from Gifford's district. The cynical part of me can't help thinking that the only reason she removed them was that they were no longer necessary. This thinking will continue unless and until she removes them all. How do you feel now, Sarah?

To anyone else out there who thinks this incident was a good thing, and that more shootings are called for, I sincerely invite you to go fuck yourselves. YOU, and, by extension, your cohort in Arizona, Jared Loughner, are symbolic of everything that is currently wrong in this country.

I close with this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:
""Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

My prayers are with you and your family, Congresswoman Giffords.

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