Apologists

Saturday, January 8th, 2011

Inspired by the comments below from the Washington Post website.

“The liberal HATRED here is as deep and BAD as the LEFT WING shooter’s was. This is a tragedy CAUSED by a LIBERAL. A LEFT WING LIBERAL. It becomes obvious that liberalism, and their deep hatred, is a MENTAL DISORDER.” — arfywarfy 1/08/11 5:04 PM

 

“This is a horrible thing, but it’s likely completely unrelated to anything political. Seriously. Look at this guy’s video’s on youtube. He shows all the marks of being severely mentally ill, likely schizophrenic. I don’t think this shooter had any conception of, or interest in, things like health care, or Sarah Palin, or Barack Obama, or immigration, or any of the other current political-debate hobby-horses. This man was living in a world entirely of his own disordered imagining, and it’s likely that whatever role Rep. Giffords played in his internal fantasy life was completely removed from the political positions she stood for in real life, just as it’s likely that this guy never even looked at or cared about Sarah Palin’s site. Let me repeat: this was not a political assassination in the sense that everyone here seems to think it is. It is the isolated act of a severely ill individual. Terrible, deeply tragic, but not a comment on right-wing/left-wing politics. And everyone who is trying to make it into that, both left-wingers and right-wingers, will look really stupid in the morning.” — Occasionalthoughts 1/08/11 6:06 PM

 

“Mein Kampf a favorite book? Doesn’t that make him a Tea Party favorite?” — BelieveMeOrNot 1/08/11 5:34 PM

 

“That makes him an admirer of Hitler, and the left-wing Natinal Socialist Party. I’ve never heard, seen or read of any Tea Party National Socialists. If anything, we are the opponents of the modern-day equivalent, represented by many who make up the democrat party. In fact, the American left is riddled with National Socialists. I would wager that most leftist posters here are of the same persuasion, which is why you see the drop-off in insane posts, over the past hour or so, since we are learning that he is in fact, one of your’s.” — MrMeaner 1/08/11 5:44 PM

 

“It WASN’T Democrats showing up at town hall meetings with fire arms! It wasn’t democrats talking about “Don’t retreat, Reload! It wasn’t Democrats putting up websites with the opposition party in the crosshairs! It wasn’t Democrats taking about Second Amendment remedies and it wasn’t Democrats taking about watering the tree of liberty with blood! So please don’t act like it’s a big leap to make the connection! Now, until we know why, WE DON’T KNOW WHY! But please don’t act like people are crazy for making the connection!” — Angryman 1/08/11 5:12 PM

 

“Maybe so, but it is always the leftists who show up with loaded guns, and pulling the triggers, and assassinating political figures, and innocent bystanders.” — Hared 1/08/11 5:21 PM

 

“The only violence at Tea Party events were perpetuated against the Tea Party by SEIU Union goons, all Democrats. The shooter’s favorite book was the Communist Manifesto. Maybe it is time for the Left to quit obsessing about those who disagree with them and look at themselves. After years of vile hatred of Bush, Cheney and all Republicans, the Tea Party and any one else who disagrees with you, you castigate the Right for doing far less. Your jumping to conclusions and the hatred you expressed here, without a shred of evidence, is far worse than anything those whom you complain about have ever said or done. I, and others, await your apologies. Meanwhile, Why don’t we pray and think about the Congresswoman and for all the others killed and injured?” — kctaz 1/08/10 5:07 PM

 

“As I knew him he was left wing, quite liberal. & oddly obsessed with the 2012 prophecy.” – Numerous commenters citing a “classmate” as “proof” that Loughner was liberal, but it turns out that was 4 years ago (and note the emphasis on obsession).

Thank you all, but why don’t we let Mr. Loughner speak for himself.

“Hello, my name is Jared Lee Loughner. This video is my introduction to you! My favorite activity is conscience dreaming; the greatest information for my political business information. Some of you don’t dream — sadly… In conclusion, my ambition – is for informing literate dreams about a new currency; in a few days, you know I’m conscience dreaming! Thank you.” – Jared Lee Loughner “hello” video

 

“All purchases for an educational course in the United States are as of now unconstitutional in the United States of America because of Section 10 in the United States of America’s Constitution. A student paying for a Pima Community College course is a purchase for an educational course in the United States as of now. Therefore, a student paying for a Pima Coummunity College course is unconstitutional in the United States of America because of Section 10 in the United States of America’s Constitution.” – Jared Lee Loughner This Student at Pima Community College: An Unconstitutional Crime video

 

“My Final Thoughts… In conclusion, reading the second United States Constitution, I can’t trust the current government because of the ratifications: the government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar…No! I won’t pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold and silver! No! I won’t trust in God!” — Jared Lee Loughner “introduction” video, posted on his Youtube page 12/15/10

The right-wing apologists are already out in force,

Saying Jared Lee Loughner couldn’t be one of them, of course.

The say he was a liberal, based on a Tweet  from someone who knew him four years ago.

People can and do change, you know.

They say inclusion of the Communist Manifesto on his favorite books list,

Means that he must be a socialist.

They say he was crazy, as if that absolves

The far right from the violence its imagery involves.

They ignore that his anti-government, conspiracy theory views

Are very similar to what one regularly sees on Fox News.

They ignore his obsession with the gold standard,

Which in Tea Party ranks is pretty standard.

They ignore his labeling unconstitutional things he dislikes

(Sorry, Teabaggers, but that there’s three strikes).

How can you apologists be so hypocritical

To suggest that Loughner’s rampage was apolitical?

As many past events conclusively prove,

Insanity does not political inspiration remove.

In fact, the opposite is true:

Crazy + incitement = violence, just like 1+1=2.

Yes, he was crazy, but that doesn’t make the problem go away:

It’s because of crazy people that public figures must watch what they say.

Exhortations to violence have come almost exclusively from the right.

The issue is not whether they cause violence, but that they might.

When you feed paranoia, you just make it stronger.

Do we really need to keep on feeding it longer?

To change, one must first accept responsibility.

What’s needed is not apologists, but an apology.

***

Here’s Loughner’s “favorite” video, America – Your Last Memory in a Terrorist, set to your theme music for today, Let the Bodies Hit the Floor by Drowning Pool. It looks to me like Loughner may have posted this video himself and then later favorited it from his main Youtube page, since the video was posted not long before Loughner created his channel, and also has the same bizarre pseudo-logical formulations and references to B.C.E. that appear in Loughner’s other videos (watch them below).

Here are the five videos on Loughner’s YouTube channel, Hello, Introduction: Jared Loughner, How To: Mind Controller, This Student at Pima Community College: An Unconstitutional Crime, and How To: Your New Currency.

Here’s a video clip of Nancy Pelosi’s statement from September 2009 about how unbalanced people are affected by what public figures say. Unfortunately, what she warned of has now come to pass… again.

 

Update 1/12/11: Harold Meyerson does an excellent job discussing this issue in Land of the paranoid (Washington Post 1/12/11).

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Tags: AZ, Conspiracies, Gabby Giffords, Incitement, Jared Lee Loughner, Pelosi, Tucson shooting, Violence
Posted in What ails us | 2 Comments »