Today's shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is another signal that we need to focus on terrorism that gets its start here in the United States. Countless billions are spent and thousands of lives have been lost outside of our borders in the war on terrorism while radicals roam this country trying to force their will on anyone who does not agree with their views. When the full story is told, we will probably learn that this is another right-wing extremist taking matters into their own hands.
Radical ultra-conservatives seem to fight their battles in a manner much more disturbing than that of ultra-liberals. Radical right-wingers prefer to "shoot 'em up" when they aren't getting their way. Just how many shootings have occurred outside abortion clinics? I've never heard of Greenpeacers shooting whale hunters. Even here in little Mullica, the most conservative members of the local Republican Club have earned a reputation for mayhem, from the old days of throwing nails in opponents' driveways to allegedly running opponents off the road to allegations of running down a political rival at the dump.
Once is an abomination; twice is a coincidence; but the number of times that ultra-conservatives have resorted to gun violence represents a trend. We should all pause to consider whether the current tea party movement will further encourage this type of violence. This type of activity should never be tolerated, and we need to send that message at all levels of government.
Saturday, January 08, 2011
TIME TO FOCUS ON TERROR FROM WITHIN
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
58 comments:
You are so right what happened today in Arizona was a senseless act. Who really cares if the person he was trying to kill was a Democrat or Republican. It was a person doing a job for their state and in the big picture their country. Do not turn it into a political whose right or who is wrong in their views. The alleged shooter was a troubled young man for sure. Some of his favorite reading materials were Mein Kampf, The Communist Manifesto, Animal Farm and Brave New World. This young man is completely across the board in his thinking. Right to left or left to right, but he is
definitely not a sane person. If you want to talk about what happens here in Mullica do so, but don't ever try to tie what happened today to a political party just because you don't like them or agree with their views.
To 9:15, you have ignored the observation made by the first writer that those who support conservative views have historically taken a more, shall we say aggressive, approach to making their point. When more information comes out, it will be obvious whether or not this was a politically motiviated shooting. If in fact it was politicall motivated, this would seem to support the points of the first writer. You don't want the first writer to use words to oppose a political view when this troubled young man was using a gun to make his point? You can't be serious...
re9:15 pm
Maybe Sarah Palin should remove all the crosshair symbols on all the democrats she would like to get rid of. That would be a good start to stopping the dangerous ideas that she's putting in the radicals' heads.
Hey Chuck, the guy committed a premeditated act of violence and murder. The courts would definitely declare him sane. An insane person doesn't plan ahead for their actions.
If convicted I hope he is executed for his acts. And for as many conservative acts of aggression you can name, I can name just as many liberal acts of aggression. Maybe the shooter today is sane, and is full of paranoia. Also if you read about this person you will find that he sided with no one group. Look at his reading materials, all over the board. I also would hope that we are all after the same thing here...justice and punishment.
Wouldn't it be something if the new Republican Congress decided to pass stricter guns laws,controlled ammunition and made body scans and pat downs at the malls,train stations and other public places mandatory?
The violent rhetoric of the right wing conservatives has created a problem by affecting unstable minds. Now they will find a solution.
Chuck, please name those liberal acts of aggression that resulted in death.
The author of this article left out the poison pen letters attacking local candidates and their children that were left in residents' mailboxes, the posioning of Angel's dog and the dead deer carcasses left in his driveway, and the eviseration and poisoning of family pets during the No Dump movement, all intended to send a message and to intimidate the opposition.
What about intentionally shooting firearms in close proximity to a neighbor's home and barn to disturb them and frighten their livestock and poisoning their trees, just because one doesn't agree with their political views in Mullica...?
RE Chuck
Yes, I'm sure we all hope that this killer is removed from society forever.
This shooting was at a political event and now it has been discovered that Gifford was Loughner's target by notes found at his home.
America is going through a difficult period of social and economic stress. There are 42 million people on food stamps who just got a cut in assistance, families losing their homes and parents who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. How many of these people are on the brink of becoming mentally unstable?
I've seen from this last election in Mullica, that the majority of people have no idea what has been going on in this town and believed the lies that the republicans put in their big,expensive mailers. This leads me to believe that the majority American people really didn't investigate the facts about national issues. They listened to TV & radio spin artists & very vocal political groups.
Today there are a lot of angry,uneducated people on the edge of disaster looking for someone to blame for their predicament. It is a disgrace that the top republicans are deliberately using language that seems to give approval to violence.
McCain defended Palin's "HIT LIST" telling voters to "RELOAD and AIM for democrats".
Jesse Kelly,Gifford's Tea Party opponent in the 2010 mid-term elections,held a campaign event on 6/12/10. It was advertised as the following:
"Get on target for victory in November.
Help remove Gabrielle Gifford from office
Shoot a fully automatic M 16 with Jessie
Kelly"
Now Gifford is laying in a hospital bed with a bullet hole through her brain and other innocent people are dead and injured.
No matter how many sympathies the republicans sent to the families in a public display,I don't think that I am the only one that can imagine Palin putting one of her red +'s on AZ-8 and thinking to herself,"only 16 more to go" and probably popping the champagne.
I feel the republican party is deliberately leading the country into an era of violent discord for their own financial benefit.
The murderer was neither a left or right wing radical but simply a nut. And any attempt by the original poster (and the subsequent comments) to pin this murder on any group is disingenuous.
Killed in this shooting, among others, was U.S District Judge John Roll. He was appointed by President George H.W.Bush-not exactly a target for right wingers. Rep.Giffords is described as a moderate and was photographed shooting weapons. Again, not your typical right wing opponent.
That so many, in this blog and around the country, immediately try to make political points out of such a tragedy speaks poorly of their intelligence and perhaps their political beliefs. After all, why resort to such falsehoods?
Before a rush to judgement,let us take the time to learn the facts. Calm and reasoned thinking should take precedence before screaming and mindless accusations.
"Killed in this shooting, among others, was U.S District Judge John Roll. He was appointed by President George H.W.Bush-not exactly a target for right wingers. Rep.Giffords is described as a moderate and was photographed shooting weapons. Again, not your typical right wing opponent."
Actually, they were. Know your facts before you write.
1:09 am comment:
This man may have been a "nut", however he seems to have been fueled by the right wing rhetoric that has been spewed all over the news in the past year. He targeted Giffords specifically, that has already come out. The extreme right has gone too far; reporters, radio and TV have added to this problem.
He may not have been a right-wing extremist, however someone as vulnerable as Mr. Loughner easily became unhinged and perhaps even felt he would be some sort of hero after watching Fox news and hearing all of the right wing wishing death on liberals. Do an internet search on right wing/death wish and see what comes up.
Sorry, this person may have been a nut (your word), but the right wing pundits have pushed it too far.
Hate speach breeds violence.
It is well known that the Mullica Republican Club meetings had devolved into who in the cummunity they hated the most, causing some of its members to not attend the meetings anymore. There was, and continues to be, an effort by some members of the club to use intimination to discourage opposition. That includes such things as trashing people's property who have had the audacity to display opponents' political signs on their property and targeting them for possible zoning infractions. Until our elected officials, and more of our influential residents, show some courage and speak out forcefully against those who would threaten people for their political beliefs, it will continue.
Conservatives call themselves the party of personal responsibility, but they refuse to take any responsibility for the acts that their disciples commit. Chuck would want you to believe that Giffords' assailant was some whack job who was not motivated by politics. The notes left by him simply make Chuck look like a partisan blowhard on this one. The attack was premeditated. He wasn't trying to impress some girl who wouldn't give him the time of day; he was acting out in a way that has been encouraged by the rhetoric of conservative wonks like Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Ann Coulter.
Conversely, I have never heard the dreaded "liberal media" talking in the same way that those above do. Its just a fact Chuck. You know it, I know it, who are we kidding?
Let's agree that a tragedy is in fact a tragedy. We'll differ on your pathetic denial of the culpability of militant tea partiers in calling to arms those in our population who do not have the intelligence to debate rather than hate.
11:16 poster: Well said
9:54's right; Mullica's Republican Club has long had a reputation for such shenanigans. Curious residents have attended a meeting only to see how it unfolds into a revenge session on how they can "get back at" their competition. Then they don't go to another meeting.
You have to completely lose respect for someone like Bob Hagaman, who in public acts like a God-fearing man, but who behind closed doors endorses the same vengeful behaviors that his Club cohorts participate in.
Language does matter. I was upset after Jim Brown stood up in front of the church that we both attend and told people that we needed to take our country back in the November election. Mr. Brown was always popular and respected in the church, but it bothered me what he said. It made it feel like a war. I saw a side of him that I had not seen before.
And I didn't think this had any place being in the house that I go to worship.
I wouldn't "incite" Chuck if I were you people...he sounds like he's okay with shooting first and pleading insanity later!
11:34 am post
When people like Jim Brown tell people "that we needed to take our country back" they are appealing to the most ignorant, racist elements living in our community. Take us back to what? To a time when Mullica was known as the wild west of Atlantic County, where laws and ordinances weren't enforced, as long as you were part of the right political party and the right racial group? People of both parties and all ethnicities in Mullica have worked hard to make our community work for all of us. Who do you think he was specifically referring to? Dare I say it, our President, or our new Chief of Police? A real leader is not someone who incites "us against them" but one who includes and respects all.
"I didn't think this had any place being in the house that I go to worship.
Did anyone in your congregation stand up and repudiate what Mr. Brown said? If not, maybe you need to find a different church.
11:20PM You are right as long as he has the mental capacity to be able to tell right from wrong. Now that being said.
You people can have at it. I WILL NOT post here again. There is TOO MUCH HATRED running through the posters on this blog. I can't believe that being a voice of reason would "incite" me to shoot first and plead insanity!!!!! I know that nobody here will lose any sleep over this. So have great life.
RE: Jim Brown's statement.
To "take our country back" is a Tea Party theme. In Mullica, the recent election results apparently gives credence that many of its active voters agree with this precept.
Chuck, first off, I don't see "hatred", I see it as people agreeing to disagree and posting their reasons. You feel you are the Voice of Reason and because people disagree, you're picking up all of your toys and leaving the sandbox?
You still haven't answered my first question, name those liberal acts of aggression that resulted in deaths?
To: Just sign me curious,
I'm not Chuck but you may be interested in the Greenwich Townhouse explosion that killed three people in 1970. It was aa premature detonation of a bomb that killed those making it. Hey,you asked.
Chuck, please don't go...this should be a place where we can all come to discuss things intelligently. I don't believe that this is a case of hatin' on the conservatives (please enjoy my Palin-ism). The first poster seems to be suggesting more that we take a step back and consider the direction that discourse is going here in the U.S. since the results can wind up looking a lot like terrorism. Just because others don't want to simply write this guy off as a nut case is no reason for you to go away. I'm sure that most here respect your opinions and your right to express them.
And the posting about you shooting first and pleading insanity was likely just somebody trying to lighten up the commentary. You shouldn't take it personally...
To: Just sign me curious,
You might also be interested in armoured car heists this same group perpetrated (killed at least one security guard) and the bombing at the Univ. of Wisconsin that also killed some people. There was also the bombing at Fraunces Tavern by a radical Puerto Rican group-killed a cop but they were pardoned by Clinton just before he left office. Thought you might like to know.
I guess I should have worded my question differently. I am not talking about Black Panthers, Weatherman, SDS, SLA, etc. These were known radical groups. I am talking about individuals being brainwashed by mainstream media and political factions to rise up against the government. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin, etc.; all mainstream media talking heads inciting violence in the name "taking America back" and making a boatload of money off it too.
Here's two more questions: Give the the name of one left wing person with a national platform who wished for Bush to be assassinated?
Did any of the high profile left-wing pundits call for or joke about violence during the Bush administration?
To: Just sign me curious,
I have no answer to your questions. Give me the name of one person who committed murder because of Beck,Coulter and others you happen to disagree with.
Chuck said: There is TOO MUCH HATRED running through the posters on this blog.
No, more accurately the posters have referred to incidences of hatred by others, occuring in our community and in our country, all of it right wing.
"Give me the name of one person who committed murder because of Beck,Coulter and others you happen to disagree with."
Apparently, Jared L. Loughner.
To the 3:06 poster,
Did you fail to read about the violence perpetrated by left wing? I think so as I have shown many examples in this comments section.
RE 11:33 am
I am extremely disturbed to read that Jim Brown had the audacity to take politics into the church he attends. The basic reason this country was founded was freedom of religion and separation of church and state is a valued part of our Constitution. This is not the first time that Jim Brown has demonstrated that he thinks his ideas are more important than our founding fathers. That worries me. I hope he took time to read the Constitution before he took his oath to uphold it.
A lot of the posts here are about the past terroristic practices of the republicans of Mullica. I can think of a lot more but my main concern is what the future holds.
Jim Brown knowingly ran with a person who has a thug mentality. Riffle has shown himself in the past to be guy who resorts to guns,bats and immature acts when he doesn't agree with someone. Riffle has absolutely no government experience and has shown no previous interest in the town or the campaign,for that matter.
Jim Brown put this person in position as Deputy Mayor. Brown has shown right from the start that he is working just for the republican party and not for the welfare of the township. I feel bad that this town was just coming together and now the split might be bigger than ever before.
Did I say anyone committed murder because of Beck, Coulter, etc.? They fuel the fire to their followers; e.g. Coulter stating "My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building."; Palin stating "Don’t retreat. Instead — reload!" and her infamous map with crosshairs. Did you ever think that all of this hate-mongering might just instigate murder in the name of "saving our country"?
They are all making a big money by using bigotry, racism, fear-mongering and hatred to line their pockets and tear our country apart. Right-wing rhetoric keeps ratings up. They aren't fringe radical groups, but mainstream people.
Beck, Coulter, Palin,Limbaugh-they are pitting Americans against each other and tearing this country apart all for a profit!
We should all take the words of Pima County Sheriff Deputy Clarence Dupnick to heart.
"We need to do some soul searching," Dupnik told reporters. "It's the vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business.
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government, the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this county is getting to be outrageous. Unfortunately, Arizona, I think, has become sort of the capital," Dupnik, a Democrat, continued.
"We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry," he said.
Arizona is a Republican stronghold where the party members hold a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the legislature and occupy the governor's office.
"People who are unbalanced may be especially susceptible to vitriol," Dupnik said. "It's not unusual for all public officials to get threatened constantly, myself included. That's the sad thing that's going on in America. Pretty soon we're not going to be able to find reasonable people to subject themselves to serving the public."
Dupnik added, "People tend to pooh-pooh this business about the vitriol that inflames American public opinion by the people who make a living off of that. That may be free speech but it's not without consequences."
Wow,what a dialogue! But the guy,Loughner doesn't seem to have any affiliation. This whole thing is based on a false premise.
re 3:06 pm
I agree with you! When we try to put a stop to the hate and violence by speaking against it,we are called the haters.
If the few republicans in Mullica would just stop all the intimidation and bad behavior,maybe we wouldn't have anything bad to write.
In the first session of Congress,a new Federal law will be introduced that makes it a federal crime to put crosshair markings or symbols on images of our representatives. All language that incites violence against elected officials will be a Federal crime.
It seems that Congress believes all the hate speech contributed to the latest tragedy.
I guess you're going to see Glenn Beck and the rest of them calm down now.
re 10:09 pm
Nobody has to have an affiliation to any party in order to watch TV or listen to the radio or surf the web.
An unbalanced mind can easily be affected by the suggestions of the right wing hate groups and the talking heads.
A delusional person might even think that they are being patriotic by taking down a few of the "enemy".
What kind of uproar would be caused in this town if signs of Brown,Riffle and Kennedy went up with crosshairs superimposed on their heads??
Stop defending such tactics used against the democratic party!! It's sick.
To: Just sign me curious,
The Democratic Leadership Council once used almost the same picture with crosshairs to target "districts they hoped to win." Chris Mathews once said on MSNBC that someone should shove a "co2 pellet down Rush Limbaugh and watch him blow up". West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, democrat, in a campaign commercial is seen aiming a weapon and saying "take aim at cap and trade laws". A movie called "Death of a President " was made about a fictional assassination attempt on an actual sitting President, George Bush. Imagine how you guys would be reacting if it were B.O! Your whole argument is baseless,shallow, and outright lies.
Dear 10:09pm...I'm not sure why you decided that the premise was that this deranged shooter was somehow "affiliated". The point to be made is that right-leaning rhetoric has put violent images and a call to arms out to the public. Those who are unstable are vulnerable to these sort of suggestions and the brain washing shout-overs that are part and parcel of the Fox News brigade. Try, just try, to disagree with Sean Hannity and he'll talk over you then cut off your video segment.
This is what politics have devolved into since the days of George Bush the son. To think that Mullica's Republican Club has continually sunk to the same type of tactics is no stretch.
As for Sarah Palin, she lost, get over it. Move on. She is an embarrassment to thoughtful, mainstream Republicans. Liberals are salivating hoping that Palin and/or Christie get wheeled out in 2012.
Ever since Chasey and Forman have left the scene,politics in Mullica has decidedly become more civil. Let's hope that the recent turn of events with the Republicans back in power doesn't embolden them and their followers to make trouble for the community once again. They really need to stay out of it. Much of the us versus them mentality was a result of their antics. Our political leadership needs to honestly address the concerns of the entire community, not just those of a select group.
"Ever since Chasey and Forman have left the scene,..."
Regrettably, Chasey was elected as head of her party in Mullica so expect more disruptive outside influence guiding our commitee once again, just like when she was sitting on committee.
The influence of Chasey and Foreman is all over Jim Brown. He can say differently, but you're judged by the company you keep. He's had a couple of chances already to show that he is different. He has so far failed to differentiate himself. As for this Riffle, who the heck is he? He is a nobody who was put out there to be another vote in the Chasey stable.
The assertions by Brown that he is somehow not a part of the club are bald-faced lies. I guess he'll be busy after confession.
Several years ago some members of our town committee tried to have an honest discussion about the danger of discharging firearms in very close proximity to neighbors' homes, precipitated by a resident who was using this right to endanger his neighbors this way. Residents spoke about their homes shaking, buildings being hit, they and their children being frightened by the sudden and unanticipated discharge of large-caliber weapons right outside their homes and being afraid to go in their backyards when a neighbor was shooting their way. The then Chief of Police spoke about the need for an ordinance so that his officers could enforce the prohibition of such potentially dangerous behavior. It got nowhere. Forman and Chasey brought in some hunters who thought that the committee wanted to take away their guns, the Chief backed down, and the Rupublican majority tabled the matter.
Someday, someone in Mullica will be injured or even killed by such negligence. It will be called another tragedy and nothing will become of it.
RE 12:11 pm
Don't believe that nothing will ever become of it if there is some kind of tragedy.
There were other complaints about people shooting next to their homes. The Republican town officials neglected to make any type of safety ordinance against the recommendation of the Chief of Police.
You better believe that the town will face a lawsuit and the shooter will also be up to his ears in legal trouble,especially if there is a past record of harassment with firearms.
Every other town in New Jersey has some kind of law about shooting by homes or buildings. Our Republicans only concern for "safety" seems to be adult democrats handing out literature against them.
Applications for firearms permits increased significantly after the 2008 election in some parts of the country, including in lil' ole' Mullica.
re 9:55 am & 2:32 pm
I'm all for people having guns in their homes for self protection. I'm a responsible gun owner and would never think of firing off rounds to deliberately irritate my neighbors.
There's something wrong with any idiot who would do such a thing.
I just don't know how you could stop irresponsible people from getting a gun without taking away everybody's right.
I didn't know that Mullica didn't have guns laws. I don't think that the gun owners in this town would be against a law that you can't shoot by your neighbor's house. I would say that 99% of us are smart enough not to do such a thing. The other 1% deserve to go up on charges.
RE: "I just don't know how you could stop irresponsible people from getting a gun without taking away everybody's right."
The issue here is one of safety and the right to reasonably enjoy one's property,not gun control. We have ordinances that prohibit water runoff onto neighbor's properties,noise ordinances,fire ordinances, livestock ordinances, etc.,which are all designed to protect residents and their property from the few knuckleheads who need to be told what is dangerous and or inappropriate. In Mullica, a hunter can't even carry a loaded firearm within 450 feet of a dwelling without permission of the owner by state law yet can discharge a weapon without any restrictions whatsoever as long as the person is not hunting. It makes no sense.
re 8:43 am
It sounded like a war zone around my house on New's Year Eve. I was so scared that some bullet was going to ricochet off a tree and go through somebody's window and kill them. Stupid behavior from idiots!
Even in the desert in Tucson,where people can carry concealed weapons, it is illegal to shoot guns closer than 450'from anyone's home or buildings. I would say we are one of the few towns in the nation without some kind of restriction, all because Chasey and Forman lied to the gun community about the Democrats,saying they would try to take their guns away.
You would think that this community would have become aware of the republican lies by now. This past election has proven that they just don't learn and are still gullible as ever.
Unfortunately for all of us, one of those knuckleheads who fire their guns near their neighbors house is now our Deputy Mayor.
RE 7:26 pm
Your post just about sums up the mentality of the new republican administration. I read the article about Jim Brown reappointing Sandman. It seems neither one of the two care about our community,our money or the welfare of their neighbors. One of the worst years in the history of our country and we have 3 knuckleheads that control the town. Good luck everyone.
RE 9:42 pm
I'm worried about the town,too. I can't find the post about Sandman. What date or time is it under? The people down the road from me had some problems with him. I'd like to read it and pass the info on.
re 9:42 am
I missed the article about Sandman. Could you tell me what paper it's in.
This is going to be a hard year for the town,state and country. It's not starting out well at all. We're all in for a wild ride now.
"This is going to be a hard year for the town,state and country."
I think that this is going to be hard year for the public employees in Mullica, whose jobs have been pretty much insulated from the effects of this major recession so far. I don't see the new administration keeping municipal taxes to a zero increase without significant concessions from the employees or major layoffs and reductions in public services. Our newly elected officials have a very tough job that they set out for themselves.
RE: The people down the road from me had some problems with him.
Sandman is the epitome of what has been wrong with this town for a very long time. He is extremely partisan, using the law to punish perceived opponents and to grant favors to supporters by ignoring it. There was no legitimate reason for reappointing him as our zoning enforcement officer this year, when his four-year term ended.
If anyone is having problem with Tom Sandman's behavior as a township employee, they can contact Committeeman Anthony Gabris, who oversees that department.
re 2:38 am
The article about Sandman is on a new website www.mullicataxforce.com
Mike St Amour is going to keep the Twp.informed about everything that is happening with the new committee.
I got a call this morning from one of her friends that Janet Forman is already having one of her hissy fits on Facebook about in. Isn't it something that Janet and the republicans hate anything that puts the spotlight on their activities.
This is HUGE! The republicans always have discredited the Gadfly's posts as being lies or fiction. Now they will have a much harder time denying the truth coming from a highly respected citizen and past Mayor of Mullica.
I am encouraged that we will all be informed about what is going on in our town government and be able to take action if necessary.
RE1:04pm
WOW! This is fantastic!!! The tunnel doesn't look so dark anymore. I'll spread the word!
Post a Comment