Arizona Assassinations Tied to Reactionary Right

[Modern School]

The mainstream media are portraying Jared Lee Loughner, the 22 year old who critically wounded Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, as a lone wing nut. They are distancing themselves from the liberal bloggers who are trying to connect his act to the Tea Party movement and other conservatives. They’re not even particularly keen on reporting Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who blamed the shooting on the “political vitriol” from the right wing and who called Arizona the national center of bigotry.

The problem is that his assassination spree was premeditated and his victims we’re specifically targeted, not only by him, but by numerous ultra-right organizations, while his actions had indeed been egged on by conservatives, including Sarah Palin. The Department of Homeland Security has linked Loughner to American Renaissance, an anti-government, anti-immigrant, and anti-Semitic organization that advocates white supremacy and racial separation. One of his victims, Judge John Roll, was the subject of hundreds of death threats in 2009. He had been vilified by right-wing talk shows for his role presiding over a case brought by undocumented immigrants against a local rancher.

For the rest, please visit http://modeducation.blogspot.com/2011/01/arizona-assassinations-tied-to.html

[aquart]

1. ABC's Nightline is in full out LONE GUNMAN mode.

It is certainly an amazing coincidence that he personally decided to kill a Democrat who had been so specifically targeted. Was he obsessed with her for years? Seems so. BUT HE DIDN'T TRY TO KILL HER. He didn't buy the gun till after she won re-election. He didn't shoot her until AFTER she was targeted. So none of the "personal grudge" arguments impress me.

[AdHocSolver]

2. Studies of authoritarian personalities show that they are STRONGLY influenced by authority figures.

Studies by Stanley Milgram and Robert Altemeyer show that people who are considered psychologically "normal" can be persuaded to commit violence on people who are no threat to them just by the urging of those that they consider to be authority figures.

Actually, the excuse that this shooter was "crazy" is less relevant to his actions than the atmosphere of hate and violent rhetoric spewed by "authority" figures. Even a crazy person will not necessarily act out their animosity if their social environment frowns upon such activity.

[elleng]

3. GOOD, and thanks for saying this, Ad:

'Even a crazy person will not necessarily act out their animosity if their social environment frowns upon such activity.'

[ALovingLiberal]

6. Blood-on-their-hands Righties in full denial

It is incomprehensible to me how the right can deny any involvement in this horrific act when everyone knows their bloody hands are all over it. Simply amazing. :(

[progressivebydesign]

4. stop making sense -- you're upsetting the "actions of an insane man" meme.

Seriously, they are allowing this to be swept under the rug. He was clearly obsessed with anti-govt rhetoric, and anti-Semitic, propaganda.

[marias23]

5. Are Right Wing Pundits Saying" Nobody Listens to Us"

If they didn't influence the shooter they are basically saying no one listens and we have no influence. If only it were true.

[natrlron]

7. Moral Culpability

Sarah Palin and company may not be legally responsible for the shooting, but she and her comrades in demagoguery certainly are morally culpable. They have created an angry mob mentality built on fear of the enemy, who they say is President Obama and liberal democrtats. A deranged person may have pulled the trigger, but Sarah Palin helped point the gun in Gifford's and Roll's direction.

For more commentary on the tenor of today's politics and culture, go to my blog, http://PreservingAmericanGreatness.blogspot.com