Sarah Palin Wasn’t In Tucson, AZ – Our 1st Amendment in Crosshairs : Bytchin

Sarah Palin Wasn’t In Tucson, AZ – Our 1st Amendment in Crosshairs

Posted on Jan 13th, 2011 at 11:58 pm by Megan in I just saved the world, I'll probably regret saying this

Okay, so I guess I will join in with the rest of the world on this Arizona tragedy. My two cents are so insignificant compared to the stunning loss our country and that community suffered and these families will continue to suffer for the rest of their lives. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to those who lost and those who have a long battle of recovery to face.

I typically don’t get into politics so if that’s not your cup of tea, stay tuned and raucous stories of sex and misadventures of my personal life will come soon, promise. Here’s where we get a little controversial and so I want to put in a quick disclaimer: My thoughts are my own and nobody else’s. Just because I think somebody is a moron and state so in this absolutely inconsequential blog doesn’t mean that anybody should go out and shoot the victims of my rants or cause them harm in any other way, physical or emotional.
The fact that I have to say that points out something seriously broken in our government at the moment. I was raised to believe I live in a place where I have the right to express my opinions, concerns and beliefs, as long as I don’t violate the civil liberties of anyone else (including the rights to say the same damn stuff about me). The first amendment protects both what I want to say personally and what I want to publish to the world.
And here’s the sad truth that Washington seems to be forgetting/overlooking: What happened in Tuscon, Arizona last week was a horrific tragedy and a loss of human life at the hands of a mentally and criminally insane man – NOT your chance to get your name in the press, slam the opposing party, or appeal to more voters. I’m talking to you, Bob Brady (D-PA), Louis Gohmert (R-TX), and yes you, Sarah Palin.
Gohmert’s feeble attempt at a headline is almost laughable. In light of the tragedy, he wants to make it legal for all Senate and Congress members to carry their concealed weapons on the floor. We can dissect and quickly dismiss this one: Gabrielle Giffords wasn’t on the floor of Congress when she was gunned down. Having a weapon while she took her seat in Congress wouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference as she stood in the middle of a SafeWay store and shook the hands of fans. Second, we really don’t think that mentally unstable people have ever made it to those levels of government. Really, you want to give Pelosi and Boehner each a semi-automatic and let them ‘work out their differences’? Shut up, Gohmert, you’re setting us all back, not forward. I very sincerely doubt that the resolution to a shooting spree involves more weapons.

Now Bob Brady’s proposal is the one that really makes me nervous. This man wants to make illegal any inference or perceived threats of violence against more public servants than ever before. My question is… who decides what’s okay? Any politician with a vendetta can interpret a blog, article or any other public statement as threatening and that could lead to a federal prison sentence or other serious, serious consequences. Jared Lee Loughner wounded 14 people and killed six more. The United States government also wants to give him the credit for killing the first amendment and crippling freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

Jared Lee Loughner never put any states or districts in crosshairs; Sarah Palin did. Jared Lee Loughner never promised to bring a gun to a knife fight; Obama did. Loughner just showed up with a gun and an undiagnosed mental disorder, sprinkled with some extreme political paranoia. The only real thing that anyone can find connecting the mad man to this particular Congress woman is a letter written in 2007 calling Giffords “stupid”. Considering the amount of politicians that I’ve called stupid in my life,(hi, do we remember our last president?) I’m having a hard time believing that a simple insult is so threatening, especially when compared to the intensity of mud-slinging going on by the constituents themselves.

I would be lying if it didn’t seem that political rhetoric is at an all time high. The 2010 midterm elections were ripe with attack ads and slander campaigns. No politician seems to run on their own merit anymore as much as they win by preaching what a douche-bag their opponent is. It’s no longer okay to just disagree with the other party, you have to hate them. And that’s a strong, strong word with lots of crazy behind it. But the reality is attack ads didn’t attempt an assassination on Gabrielle Giffords and kill six others. Neither did a slighted and failed opponent of hers. Hell, neither did an impressionable man motivated by violent propaganda. Jared Loughner was an anomaly, a one-off. And while tragic, why don’t we address the fact that many people knew this man was unstable – including his family, classmates and the school that expelled him until he would get (and refuse) a mental evaluation – and he still didn’t get the help that he so desperately needed. Brady, think maybe you should make a bill adressing that? Maybe then you’d deserve the headlines that you are getting. Until then, please, find it within yourself to stop trying to infringe on our basic rights and quit blaming effing Sarah Palin. The less power we give that woman the better we all will sleep at night.