In response to the massacre last weekend in Tucson, when a troubled young man killed six people including a child and attempted to assassinate a Democratic congresswoman, reporters pointed to the disturbing trend in the writings and statements of some conservative leaders: language that encourages people to consider “2nd Amendment remedies” in order to “take back our country.”
Right-wing commentators and politicians who have used such imagery, laughing all the way to the bank or ballot box because they so successfully appeal to the dangerous fantasies of troubled souls, cannot now distance themselves from their biggest fans’ actions.
But are they to blame for Jared Loughner?
No.
They bear some responsibility for contributing to an atmosphere in which such violence is to be expected. Palin, Beck and everyone else who encourages others to “reload” and “aim” for Democrats should be shunned rather than celebrated.
But two people had more influence over Loughner than Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck.
His parents.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.