Stop Politicizing Insanity

I find myself growing sick and tired of people trying to score political points off the terrible tragedy in Arizona. Almost from the moment that Jared Loughner committed his despicable acts, allegations were levied against Sarah Palin and the Tea Party movement. Some have accused them of being complicit in the shootings.

The supposed evidence against Governor Palin is an ad ran during the 2010 campaigns which put gun sights or targets on certain districts including Congresswoman Gifford's district. It is alleged that this ad encouraged mentally unstable people to attack or "target" the Congresswoman.

The truth of the matter is that Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Liberals, and even the media have been using military terms for campaign tactics for years. When an elected official is considered to be vulnerable at the ballot box, then that race is considered "targeted", not for assassination, but for electoral defeat.

When an elected official responds to political attacks, he or she is described as "firing back". If they have nothing to say, it is sometimes reported that he or she is "out of ammunition".

It is important for people to realize that Jared Loughner is mentally ill. He does not think rationally. His brain simply does not work like a normal human being's brain. As such, we cannot expect to be able to determine a logical motive for his actions. For example, David Berkowitz (the Son of Sam killer), had no rational or logical motive. He killed because he thought his dog was commanding him to do so.

Yet, people throughout the country, including a current and a former Ulster County Legislator, have stated that Sarah Palin, her words, and her followers gave Jared Loughner the motive to kill. Legislator Madsen wrote on his blog:

"A 22 year old man in Arizona is probably a fan of Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and others who preach of the inevitable government takeover."

Well, it turns out that Legislator Madsen was not only wrong to politicize a tragedy, but he was factually wrong as well. Many others made the same mistake.

The New York Times reports the following about Jared Lougnner:

* "He became intrigued by antigovernment conspiracy theories, including that the Sept. 11 attacks were perpetrated by the government and that the country’s central banking system was enslaving its citizens. His anger would well up at the sight of President George W. Bush or in discussing what he considered to be the nefarious designs of government. "

* Among the books that Loughner would later cite as his favorites were Fahrenheit 451, Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto.


It has also been learned that Loughner may have targeted Congresswoman Giffords as early as 2007, long before Sarah Palin and the Tea Party came to national prominence.

In other words, Sarah Palin and the Tea Party had nothing to do with the tragedy. Jared Loughner was not a follower of Sarah Palin. If anything, he was a left winger, not a conservative. He was not a fan of Sarah Palin and Glen Beck. He was a fan of Michael Moore and Karl Marx.

Let me be clear, however, I am NOT accusing left wing propaganda and political hate speech of causing this tragedy. Jared Loughner was simply a mentally disturbed young man who committed an act of unthinkable horror. He was not motivated by politics (left or right), but was blinded by mental illness and instability.

I must point out, however, that the false and disgusting accusations against Sarah Palin and the Tea Party have not gone unnoticed.

As reported by MSNBC, "A Tucson mass shooting victim was taken into custody Saturday after yelling 'you're dead' at a Tea Party spokesman during the taping of an ABC-TV town hall event hosted by Christianne Amanpour.

The Pima County Sheriff's Office said J. Eric Fuller, 63, was involuntarily committed to an undisclosed medical facility, NBC News reported. The Associated Press said he was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation."

AZ Central wrote, "Fuller's actions could be a response to the trauma he suffered a week ago, said Dr. Laura Nelson, deputy director for the behavioral health sciences division at the Arizona Department of Health." (Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/01/15/20110115gabrielle-giffords-arizona-shooting-tucson-forum.html#ixzz1BKCRQocB)

As far as I am concerned, it is time to stop politicizing the terrible events in Tuscon and allow people to heal and grieve their lost family and friends. Trying to score political points off this tragedy is disgusting and inappropriate. I do not place a political motive upon either Loughner or Fuller. Loughner was deranged and Fuller is recovering from being shot and witnessing an unspeakable atrocity. Their motives are not political.