In these days when all of Tucson is in mourning and people around the world are aghast at what has happened here, there is a frightening kind of denial in the air.
Right after the devastating massacre on Saturday morning, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik spoke out on what countless people had immediately recognized: this shooting took place in the midst of an ongoing climate of vociferous hate. He was his usual blunt self, speaking about this "horrendous, horrendous, senseless, unbelievable crime." He spoke of "unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government." He had the courage to say what was clear to perceptive people across the land who have heard the rage language and seen the hate posters: "The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry." Saying it is time for the country to "do a little soul searching," he pointed right at the "vitriolic rhetoric that we hear day in and day out from people in the radio business and some people in the TV business "
Today Sarah Palin called this kind of talking "blood libel" that "serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn." Her denial is foolishness. Putting the spotlight on an incessant flow of suggestive hate language is not incitement to violence. It is urgent care in the face of a national epidemic.
Palin's denial is not new. On Monday, Rush Limbaugh let fly, accusing folks like Sheriff Dupnik of trying to exploit the Tucson massacre. Sometimes the denial goes even beyond ludicrous. A Palin aide claimed that the crosshairs on the famous pre-election map (about Gabby Giffords and 19 other candidates) represented a "surveyor's symbol." Come on. That map was put out by the "reload" lady. Of course we don't know if shooter Jared Loughner ever saw the map, but it is a vivid example of the national barrage of violent imagery that has been broadcast unceasingly. (Note that Loughner's weird "currency" language found in the collected evidence comes directly out of right-wing conspiracy rants.)
Sarah Palin says,"Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own." No, they do not. You cannot isolate actions from their environment.
Palin talks about "law abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment right at campaign rallies." Is it respectful to come to campaign rallies carrying guns in the shadow of violently suggestive placards?
Loughner is clearly insane. In a country devastated by cuts in health care such as the ones we are seeing here in Arizona, there is surely a multitude of Jared Loughners out there. They are not on Mars. They are seething in the midst of an unrelenting atmosphere of hate talk and conspiracy talk and reload talk.
Thank you, Sheriff Dupnik. May you have a million echoes.
