It's time to tone down the rhetoric; it's time to stop the hate

Before the blood of the victims of the tragic mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona had dried on the pavement of a Safeway parking lot, there were already strong echoes throughout the media world as to what sparked such an act of violence that left six people dead and 14 others wounded, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target of the attack, fighting for her life.

It didn't take long for the media to get the answer to their questions. And the person who answered was not a journalist, pundit or activist. The person who answered the cries of understanding and stepped into the spotlight without hesitancy to place blame on the events was none other than Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik. The out-spoken sheriff didn't even have to ponder what was to blame for the tragic events as he spoke at a news conference Saturday evening, for the evidence had been right in front of him for the past two years. And with one word he was able to sum up the one thing that was on many people's minds as they watched the tragedy unfold - "vitriol".


"I'd just like to say that when you look at unbalanced people, how they are - 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 country is getting to be outrageous," Dupnik said in a nationally televised news conference.

Vitriol, defined as "cruel and bitter criticism", has been, as many believe, the fuel that has inflamed a public that is already unstable with the struggles of the economy and high-unemployment rates. The vile rhetoric that spews from the mouths of not only our elected officials, but our news pundits on a daily basis, help to reaffirm the anger and fears felt by people and groups on both sides of the political aisle over who is to blame for the death of the American dream. Sheriff Dupnik, however, on that day, right or wrong, summed up the thoughts of many Americans who are disgusted by the rhetoric coming from our news outlets and elected officials today with one word. And with it, he has sparked a heated debate over hateful rhetoric that no one else in American media or politics has been able to successfully raise in decades - probably the one positive thing to come from this tragedy.

While it appears this was the act of a mad man with unidentifiable political ideology at this time, there is no hiding the fact that the tone in language and discourse in this country has taken a horrifying turn toward anti-government and pro-gun rhetoric, and anyone who ignores this fact is blinded to the reality of what this type of language has on the American psyche and most importantly certain segments of our society. How can people be expected to create a civil dialogue and debate over the major issues facing our nation when there are media figures and elected officials who intentionally misinform the public and use violent rhetoric to threaten those who don't share their views.


Now, it would be wrong to place blame solely on Republicans in this tragic incident, and while Sheriff Dupnik was short of laying blame at anyone group or person, it was evident to all of us, liberals and conservatives alike, who had been the culprit of much of the vitriol in recent years - conservative pundits and politicians. While liberal pundits and officials have been known to use some reprehensible language, it is the violent rhetoric of conservative media celebrities like Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin, Tea Party activists and a number of right-wing elected officials who have used fear and hate speech to persuade Americans that the Obama administration is destroying the American way of life in recent years. Who can forget Glen Beck accusing President Barack Obama of being a racist or Rep. Joe Wilson shouting "you lie!" at the president or the congressional map featuring crosshairs over districts Sarah Palin targeted for Republican victories or the calls from Senate candidate Sharon Angle to use "2nd ammendment remedies" or Rep. Michelle Bachman calling upon Minnesotans to be "armed and dangerous".

And we have seen the effects of such candor. During a political rally for Rand Paul a Democratic supporter was thrown to the ground and had her head stomped on by an angry group of supporters and campaign staff, racial slurs met African American members of Congress as they approached the Capital Building to cast their vote on the historic health care bill, 10 Democratic congressional office windows, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, were smashed following the health care vote, gun touting men showed up to protest outside presidential events during the health care debate, not to mention two separate violent attacks and one attempted attack by people who have admitted to being influenced by Beck and Palin's words. It is a volatile political environment in which we live today, and while this act might not have been directly correlated with the hateful language conveyed throughout our political and news networks, there have been acts of violence and many instances of people using violent language and actions to threaten those who don't share their political ideology. For we all have the right to express our differences in our democracy, we all have a right to debate passionately and say what we feel, but these rights provided by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution don't come without responsibility. And if we can place the blame of violence on things like music and video games, why can't we at least question what effects violent and hateful rhetoric that plays on the fears of the weak minded can have on our society as well. Nobody is saying our elected officials can't take part in passionate debate, but to threaten violence or characterize people and elected officials as evil if they don't vote in a way that is inline with conservative "values", is a threat to not only our elected officials and the people who support such values, but our democracy and freedoms.


As law enforcement officials try to piece together what led Jared Lee Loughner to go on a killing spree last Saturday morning, we must for now be careful to place blame and instead spend more time memorializing those who lost their lives, caring for those who are still alive, and better understanding what we can do as a nation to curb the hostile environment for which we all had a hand in creating. We must not miss this opportunity to admit that we have all said some things, myself included, that we regret. And instead of trying to deflect the blame we should use this as a time to reflect on how we can better express our differences without villainizing our detractors. If not for our democracy, for 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, Gabe Zimmerman, Dorwin Stoddard, Dorthy Morris and Phyllis Schneck, who all lost their lives taking part in the most basic American right - freedom of peaceful assembly. For we are all Americans, we all love this country, and the sooner we start acknowledging that we are all on the same side, that we are all one big "American family", the sooner we can start to settle our differences and heal as a nation.

It's time to tone down the rhetoric. It's time to stop the hate.

Talk to the hand: Palin blasts Obama's use of teleprompter, then reads crib notes off her hand

So did you ever hear the one about the inspirational president using a teleprompter to give his soaring speeches?

Well if you thought that one was funny, you will love the one about the dumb-ass ex-Governor who reads crib notes off her hand.

During a speech at the Tea Parties first national convention, former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin slammed President Obama for using a Teleprompter and then had the stupidity to turn around and use her "handprompter" to answer softball questions from Tea Partiers.

You seriously could not make this shit up!

I can see it now: It's 2015, Sarah Palin's president and the United States is about to enter into another nuclear standoff with Russia. President Palin and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin meet to negotiate just like President John F. Kennedy and Russian Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev once did during the Cuban Missile Crisis. But have no fear, President Palin has it all under control as she calmly checks her crib notes on her hand like an eighth grader in Earth Science class - reading nuclear and cease fire - without the Prime Minister noticing it and negotiates a truce between the two super powers.

The world rejoices, and Palin can once again see Russia from her house.

What I am thankful for this Thanksgiving

Before you run off to stuff your face full of delectable's this Thanksgiving, I figured I would leave you with a list of all the things I am thankful for in the past year in politics. Above, you will also find one of my favorite moments from last thanksgiving - "Sarah Palin pardons a thanksgiving turkey as others die around her." Classic Palin! But that's why we love her!

What I am thankful for:

President Barack Obama
He is off to a rough start and it might get even rougher after Tuesday's announcement that he will  commit more than 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, but in a decade that is already being deemed the "Decade from Hell," Obama has been one of the only high-points. Obama, not only captured our votes, but he also captured our hearts by promising hope in a time when Americans had all but lost it. For a short period of time Obama brought out the best in us, well most of us at least, and hopefully by next year that campaign magic will be back and so will the economy. 

Sarah Palin
I know, I know, I hate Sarah Palin as much as the next liberal, but thanks to her the 2008 election went from being a tight-race to a virtual landslide for Barack Obama. Plus, whether you like her or not, she always seems to make people laugh.

Health Care reform
We are not out of the woods concerning health care reform yet, but we are well on our way after the House approved a new health bill and the Senate voted in favor of moving forward with debate over the bill that includes a public option. It's not looking like the bill will get passed by the end of this year, but it has at least created a heated debate over health care and how to ensure it's a right and not a privilege.

The Dead reunite for Barack Obama
Couldn't resist this moment. While Barack Obama mania was sweeping the nation last year, three out of four of the members of legendary rock group, The Grateful Dead, reunited to perform a concert titled "Deadheads for Obama '08" at San Francisco's Warfield Theater in the young politicians honor. A few months later all four of the living members, including the Allman Brothers Band, performed another benefit at the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University, which I had the honor of attending. Better yet, the reunion shows led to a 23 show run by the band for the first time since 2004 this past spring. And if you know me, there is nothing I am more grateful for than The Dead!

The end of the Bush Administration 
Who isn't thankful for the end of the Bush Administration, which saw the worst attacks ever launched on American soil, two unnecessary wars, a failure to adequately help our own people after Hurricane Katrina and the total annihilation of the economy and most of our basic human rights. If that wasn't enough, we also had to put up with the Idiot and Chief himself, not to mention the rest of the freaks in his administration (Cheney still won't seem to go away) for eight whole years. But it's all over now and we should all be thankful for that - even if we did get Sarah Palin in exchange. 

The Soldiers
And last but not least, the thing I am most thankful for is all the brave men and women who are overseas this holiday fighting to keep our country safe. While I don't agree with the wars, never have, never will, and I am fearful of the continuation of a lost war in Afghanistan, you have, and always will have, my full support, respect and appreciation. 

MSNBC Interviews Clueless Sarah Palin Supporters At Book Signing

A great look into what kind of freaks are actually showing up at these Palin book signings. It is now apparent that America is even more fucked up than I had originally suspected. I think part of Barack's problem is he is too intelligent and needs too learn how to dummy down the rhetoric. I mean he has somehow managed to make affordable health care for all sound more like the rationing of health care. We should have just called it Medicare for all in the first place, not a public option, then we might have gotten this whole issue behind us by now.

But anyway the two peeps in this video are a great example of the type of morons who are making Palin a millionaire and driving the rest of us to the brink of insanity. But these two are about as sharp as Palin, so I see why they like her so much. But I don't understand what the deal is with these freaks and the constitution. I mean Obama was a fucking constitutional law professor, if they like the constitution so much maybe they should have voted for someone who knows a little bit about it - or even someone who reads for that matter. I also suspect that Joe guy to be be either (A) a child molester or (B) a serial killer.

I really hope she comes to my neck of the woods. I just love when the circus comes to town!

Sarah Palin: A dishonest, worthless person?

So the moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived (drum role please!): Sarah Palin's first and hopefully final book "Going Rogue: An American Life" is available in stores now.

I am sure you are all as excited as I am to read a book about a person I am almost positive I am smarter than and even more certain I have nothing in common with - plus I am part of the "liberal elite," so it was only natural that I couldn't resist attacking the honest, hard-working right-wing hockey mom on the day of her book's release - although I think that $7 million advance she received takes her out of the running for middle or working class.

While I have not read the book, or intend to read the book for that matter (I lose enough brain cells a day getting high), it is obvious that while she most likely contributed to Barack Obama's landslide victory in last year's presidential election (thank you very much, I think), she does have a devote group of followers much like Ross Perot did when he ran for president.

However, unlike the confident, business tycoon, Palin is less of an idealist and more of a characterization of what the McCain campaign and the media created during last year's election season. Her identity and the one she portrays on the national stage is unpolished and fake, not necessarily because she is a poor politician, but because she is an Average Jane, who doesn't have the personality traits, political knowledge or quick thinking to be an effective public figure on the big stage.

Aside from her quirky mannerisms and nauseating, self-righteous attitude that is probably as much her own as any other idea she has offered as a politician, she has attempted to capitalize on the media's characterization of her being a "rogue" candidate during last year's election - using the term not only in the title of her book, but to characterize herself in many of her speeches. Even during the election the term "rogue" has seemingly become her mantra, which makes me wonder if she, or her handlers, even know what the term means. Webster's Dictionary defines the word as a (1) vagrant, tramp or (2) a dishonest or worthless person : scoundrel - which sounds about right to me, so maybe they do understand its meaning after all.

But in all seriousness, while I don't understand, but accept that she is a popular sub-cultural figure in our society, much like Paris Hilton once was, I can't even begin to fathom what it is about her that fascinates so many people - lover or hater. I mean at this very moment I am wasting a great deal of my time to write about her book of revenge, which she didn't even penn. I mean is it just me or is Palin like that "mean girl" in high school who is constantly trying to make other people's lives a living hell. We have all known that girl and Palin's new book is just another opportunity for the mean girl inside to manipulate people into believing she is the victim and everyone else around her who may have opposed her or defied her is out to get her.

During a recent interview with Rush Limbaugh, Palin told him that she thought it was good when people questioned members of their own party - which I would agree with. However, the only problem is where the hell was she, and the rest of the Republicans for that matter, when George W. Bush took a hundred billion dollar surplus and turned it into a trillion dollar deficit. Where was Palin's challenging voice concerning the two unnecessary wars Bush created and his failure to provide the proper relief for those who lost their homes and lives in Hurricane Katrina. I could go on and on with the laundry list of mistakes the previous administration made, but I think you get the picture. The point is while Palin has found a voice in a party that has not only lost its way, but also forgotten what it stands for, she is using her voice not to offer any real solutions to America's growing problems, but to bad mouth anyone and everyone who does not believe in her views. But I must say she definitely has the "it" factor, because she certainly can bring out supporters and always seems to intrigue her haters - myself included.

The book itself has already been chastised by the McCain campaign, and many reporters closely associated with the campaign, as a falsity - but it isn't going to dissuade readers as the book is already expected to be a New York Times Best Seller and more than 1,500 suckers lined-up outside a bookstore in Detroit earlier today to purchase it and get a possible autograph. Now wouldn't you think she should be thanking John McCain and the morons that ran his campaign for allowing her to become VP, and thus filthy rich, instead of attacking the poor old freak who made her who she is - but what else would we expect out of Palin or the rest of the money grubbing nuts who are trying to capitalize off her new-found fame for that matter. (most notably her daughter's baby daddy, Levi Johnston)

Now the only question left to answer is 'will she run in 2012.' Palin announced today that if she was to seek and win the Republican nomination for president, she would consider joining forces with Fox News anchor and certified lunatic, Glenn Beck, as her running mate. Now if you are a person who is worried about the world ending on Dec. 21, 2012, you have something to really fear.