My heart goes out to people in Arizona who have suffered harm at the hands of Jared Loughner. By the accounts I've seen, he seems to be a mentally troubled young man that believed the government was putting thoughts in his head. He rambled on about the government changing the meaning of wards to change reality.
That part is unfortunately true. Political propaganda has twisted the meaning of words, and used code words to distort the truth, since the beginning of civilization. We've all grown up with this, we all deal with it day by day. The constant lies coming from the Government and media is now being projected at a deafening roar. I'm tempted to say that the public doesn't fall for it, but a little conversation on various blogs, shows that people pick and choose from this stream of misinformation, what they wish to believe and disbelieve. The wide variety of disinformation provides any given individual with tailored facts and information, that are pleasing to their line of thinking.
Republicans get a line of propaganda that pleases them and Democrats get a line that reinforces their beliefs. And in both, enough code words and phrases are sprinkled in, to incite anger at the other faction and keep us divided as a people.
Already both sides are claiming that the shooter belongs to the other side. Democrats are blaming the Republicans for their angry rhetoric. Sharron Angle's call for 'Second Amendment Remedies' to solve the Tea Party's problems with Democrats, certainly adds fuel to this fire. Sarah Palin's use of gun sights on her map of political opponents doesn't help. Her aide explains that they were never intended to be viewed as rifle sights. But she doesn't explain what interpretation these gun sights should have.
I believe that they never intended to have any murdered. Calling for constituents to use guns to remove Democrats from office, is just excited hyperbole, right? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I think Sarah Palin's aide is on the level.
But on Sharon Angle's remark..., If I started arguing for Second Amendment Remedies, I don't doubt for a second that I'd be put under a law enforcement microscope, with personal visits from my local police department. I guess if I were running for public office, then I'd get a free pass on something like this.
On the Republican side. A listing of Jared's books, looks like something thrown together to impress people. From the sound of things, it seems he did read them. The list is a hodgepodge of authors and political leanings. It include George Orwell, Ayn Rand, and Adolf Hitler. But it's a book by Karl Marx that has Republicans convinced that he's a Democrat. Perhaps Ayn Rand is considered a Democrat?
So their position is that they are the real victims in this tragedy. The left is unfairly blaming them for their strong rhetoric. And the shooter wasn't even a Republican, he was clearly a Democrat, as evidenced by one left wing book out of several right wing books. Really it's the Democrats that are the embodiment of pure evil as they are spewing hate at Republicans.
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As both sides seek to position themselves to gain political profits from this tragedy, it's becoming clearer that Jared doesn't ascribe to either political party. He's known to be a heavy pot smoker, and to suffer paranoid delusions. He blames the government for trying to steal his dreams when he is sleeping, and for putting thoughts in his head. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, quite likely just represented the most accessible representative of the US Federal Government that he knew.
Both parties are looking for a way to polarize this event to benefit them. The reality that the shooter is a mentally unstable drub abuser with no political affiliations, doesn't help either side. But I doubt that will stop both parties from finding ways to exploit this tragedy.
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For the families of the real victims and the survivors of this crime, my heart goes out to you. My brother was shot and killed when he was seventeen. I understand your pain.
