Symbolism and Sophistry

By William L. Garvin

This last weekend, a self-absorbed narcissist called Jared Loughner decided to make a name for himself. He had dropped out of high school, been kicked out of community college, was rejected by the Army and was described by a classmate as a “pot smoking leftist.” His Facebook page listed Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto among his favorite books. His favorite video was of a terrorist burning an American flag. In a video he posted to YouTube he said: “The government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar.” Later on he said: “No! I won’t trust in God!” If ever there was an antithesis to an American patriot, or the Tea Party, or to Sarah Palin, Loughner is it.

In a cowardly attack on innocent civilians in Tucson, he killed six people and wounded another fourteen. Among those he killed was a 63 year old conservative Republican judge who had been appointed by George H.W. Bush, a 76 year old Christian who died shielding his wife from the murderer, and a 9 year old girl named Christine who was born on 9/11/2001 and who had just been elected to her school student council. He also murdered a 73 year old woman and a 79 year old woman. He also killed a young congressional staffer and critically wounded moderate Democrat Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Were it not for a courageous woman who grabbed the magazine as he attempted to reload and two bystanders who tackled this contemptible loser, the carnage would have been much worse.

In a scene reminiscent of Columbine, one would think that all would gather in condemnation of this despicable act and lend as much prayer, comfort, and support to the victims as they could humanly muster. Some did but such was not the case for all. Within minutes, leftist blogs such as Daily Kos, Firedog Lake, and the Huffington Post swooped in like vultures on carrion, picking and clawing at scraps to create a new scenario. It was the “vitriolic atmosphere” created by “media hosts” and “violent rhetoric” of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party the instigated this horrendous act. In another incredible lapse of journalistic integrity, MSNBC and CNN, even Fox, began treating these internet fantasies as if they were real news. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik added fuel to the fire by hypothesizing that rhetoric could inflame those who are “mentally unstable.” After criticizing conservative media, he noted that “freedom of speech has consequences.” Previously the lifetime Democrat had called the Tea Party “bigots.” Loughner has refused to cooperate with the investigation so the Sheriff has no evidence of any kind as to his motivation. In his case, partisan politics prevailed over police professionalism. One can readily imagine a defense attorney calling the Sheriff to testify about his client’s “diminished capacity.”


The lemming media mouthpieces then made much of Sarah Palin’s tweet of “Don’t retreat, reload” and her map which targeted twenty congressional districts with “crosshairs.” Congresswoman Giffords district was one. Nothing was made of the Democratic National Committee’s use of “bullseyes” as “targets” on their map. Also nothing was said about the Daily Kos itself “targeting” the Congresswoman with a similar bullseye! They also published an article that headlined “My Congresswoman is DEAD to me!” Why? Because the author was distressed that the congresswoman had voted for John Lewis instead of Nancy Pelosi for minority leader! To disguise their hypocrisy, Daily Kos has scrubbed both of these pages but they have been archived by others for posterity. Curiously lacking in the coverage of “violent rhetoric” was the President’s “they bring a knife, we bring a gun” outburst or demanding his followers “get in their faces.” But then, that wouldn’t fit their agenda.

A Google search of “in the crosshairs” has over a million hits with such nuggets as a book by Kathleen Willey called CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON; headlines of AARON RODGERS IN THE EAGLES’ CROSSHAIRS and LINDSAY LOHAN IN THE SHERIFF’S CROSSHAIRS; also coaches, Fed manipulations, Christians, Cuba, Iran, Chesapeake, cancer, plastic bags, feral cats and many, many more are all “in the crosshairs.” Stop connecting imaginary dots in your hateful fantasies.

There is no relationship between Sarah Palin and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between the Tea Party and Jared Loughner. There is no relationship between rational thought and Jared Loughner. He is a pathetic, tormented, anarchistic soul whose only significance is the evil he has done. Stop trying to make him anything more. You would be better off spending your time praying for those this lunatic has harmed.