Tucson Sheriff being slammed for "politicization" of Saturday's

[WestSeattle2]

massacre? How can it NOT be politicized?! A politician was targeted for assassination! It was nothing BUT political.

[begin_within]

1. Thank you

I can't believe how many people on DU are trying to de-policitize it and compare it to the Hinckley/Reagan episode.

[justiceischeap]

2. Well, you see Loughner seemed not have any political slant to his motives

so therefore, it can't be called a political shooting, so therefore Dupnik is politicizing it and incorrectly placing blame on hateful rhetoric. :sarcasm:

[Fumesucker]

But I don't see anyone on the left complaining about the Sheriff's statement..

And since the M$M has let us know in no uncertain terms that "both sides do it" then the left should be complaining every bit as much as the right about the Sheriff pointing out how their hateful rhetoric has lead to a mass shooting.

[bettyellen]

9. his rhetoric is not to "eliminate" or "take out"people, he asks they be mindful of what they say

you might want to take a page from that playbooks and rethink your post. there is absolutley no reason to complain about his statement. he is talking about the hateful atmosohere and the violent threats that abound since Palin and her ilk "reloaded".

[bushisanidiot]

12. EXACTLY! The guilty parties are the ones screaming at the top of their lungs

about how they are being treated. Even though, no one is singling them out, except the good sheriff.

[Fumesucker]

14. The sheriff has named no names, pointed no explicit fingers..

So those doing the screaming are accusing themselves of using inflammatory and violent rhetoric.

[WestSeattle2]

6. I admire the man; not only for saying what needs to be said, but

for not "walking it back" when those on the radio and some on TV start attacking him personally.

Perhaps the cowards behind microphones will learn how real men and women deal with adversity.

[FreakinDJ]

8. Deranged as they may be - it was 100% Political Motivation

I don't see how anyone could walk away from reading about this with any thing less then that assessment

[bettyellen]

10. Beck spouts much the same as this killer did, every day to millions of people

[Fumesucker]

3. It's the hit dog that yelps..

The Sheriff threw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps is the one that was hit.

In this case it is the right wing dog that's doing the yelping.

[malaise]

4. Ding Ding

We have a winner

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. The truth has quickly become the enemy of the responsible. n/t

[snappyturtle]

7. I saw an e-mail address for Dupnik here on DU a day ago or so.

I'd like to send a brief support e-mail to him but I didn't save his address....anyone? anyone?

[bushisanidiot]

11. This shows you how conservative leaning the MSM is.

ONE PERSON stands up to speak the truth and he is attacked. He is the only one speaking the obvious when it comes to what pushing crazy people over the edge to do something like this.

I wouldn't be surprised if the poor guy isn't already receiving death threats, which would just prove his own point.

[peace13]

13. Go back and listen to his original comment please.

The sheriff referred to radio and TV he did not say right wing radio or right wing TV! Keith Olberman came out and said that he would play nice in the future and the next thing we know FoX and gang are all feathers afluff because they think the sheriff has called them out. IMO they know what they do and are now showing their guilt. If this is not the case why don't they man up and move forward. The rest of us are trapped here with greedy ignorant fools. There is too much money on the table for them to stop the hate talk. Too sad.

Edited to ad that now he does call the irresponsible folks out. I think he is sick and tired of these folks. I imagine he has had very little sleep and plenty of death threats of his own!

[rbixby]

15. but but but.......

he wasn't a card carrying republican!


I think that whole thing is a bunch of BS personally, whether he drank the party's koolaid or not, I think that the anti-government rhetoric being spewed by so many RW talking heads definitely had an influence. Even if it didn't it should be a wakeup call to people that this sort of speech is dangerous, no matter which side it comes from (though I don't think I've seen anything like that sort of speech coming from the mainstream left, though as human beings, I guess we are capable of it, some people just think the better of it and decide to use more appropriate language and symbolism). What's sad is that I've seen no signs from the right that they'll dial things back, even just a little bit, because of this. I guess if the person isn't a member of the Glenn Beck fanclub, then obviously he couldn't have been influenced by the right (but even if he was, they'd still deny any responsibility).
I just don't understand why the right feels like we can't disagree peacefully. You can disagree loudly and angrily if you want, but we live in a civilized country (for the most part), we should be able to disagree loudly without calling for violence against our opponents.

[justiceischeap]

17. If anything, they'll turn it up several notches

They now have definitive proof that what they're doing, basically urging people to start a revolution, is working one nut job at a time.

[earthlover]

16. The hate/fear mongering from the Beck Palin Limbaugh Coulter Hannity crowd is obvious

Was this shooting directly or indirectly caused by the hateful rhetoric? Maybe we will never know for sure. But one thing is for sure: it is only a matter of time before another shooting IS.

We could tone down the rhetoric of hate. But if we did so, Beck, Palin, Limbaugh/Coulter/Hannity and their ilk would be out of a job.

It really is not their fault, their listeners have blood on their hands. None of these extremists would have any ratings without the thousands of ignorant people who get turned on by listening, who cheer them on. Not all of them are deranged, but look what is happening to our political climate, when hatred is spewed for political gain. Even if there would be no shootings, out country is harmed by this divisiveness.

Beck/Limbaugh/Coulter/Hannity and Palin are appealing to our lowest common denominator. But their listeners have as much blood on their hands as anyone. Shame on them too.