"THESE ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES" Conservatives and the media scoff at the victim's own words.

[Raschel]

They are dismissing her voice as she fights for her life in a hospital bed.

Everyone should watch the interview of Rep Giffords with Chuck Todd. She touches on practically every reason why violent and hateful rhetoric should be addressed by leaders.

Those on the right and in the media who deny the connection between the vitriolic and violent political climate are dishonoring Representative Gifford.

Do not let them shut down this important moment to address hate speech and violent symbols and rhetoric.

They are attacking us for doing so.

[fascisthunter]

1. Amazingly Transparent they are...

[DCKit]

2. Maybe they're just so lacking in intelligence, they can't make the connection. nt

[SpiralHawk]

3. What the so-called 'conservatives' are lacking is moral fiber

There are plenty of intelligent ones, but they almost all have the degraded & perverse Republicon Family Pharisee Values that have brought so much hate, fear, lies, war, sorrow, perversion, and suffering into the world.

[Raschel]

8. And one of their leaders is Pontius Palin.

Yet they deny the words of one of the victims. They don't take this moment to denounce violent rhetoric.

It's bizarre and horrible.

[liberal N proud]

4. They refuse to face the facts

They are protecting their legacy of lies and hate. The intend on continuing as though nothing has happened as a result of their rhetoric.

[Raschel]

10. I wonder if they think a climate of hate had anything to do with the assassination of MLK.

That hateful climate had leaders who did nothing to discourage or denounce it.

[Raschel]

5. All political leaders need to step up and call for an end to the violent and hateful climate.

If they don't they will go down in history as the cowards who failed to bring the country together.

[malaise]

6. That is why they are on the defensive

She warned them...she called them out ages ago.

[Supersedeas]

7. Maybe Chuck Todd should watch that interview--then he MIGHT understand what

we are so upset about. Then, again, Chuckie will always find some fresh push poll numbers to distract the small vestages of his conscience.

[Raschel]

9. She is so reasonable in that interview. It's very sad that nobody listened.

Even now, Palin puts out a response hiding behind God and children while not addressing the fact that she shoulders a huge part of contributing to the hateful climate.

[Catherina]

11. Link please? "we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down."

I found no such quote from her and would appreciate a link for context. What I did find were the words she wrote to a rightwinger the very night before the tragedy.

After you get settled, I would love to talk about what we can do to promote centrism and moderation. I am one of only 12 Dems left in a GOP district (the only woman) and think that we need to figure out how to tone our rhetoric and partisanship down.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/10/giffords-email-need-to-tone-our-rhetoric-and-partisanship-down/

I think she'd be appalled at how people are twisting the actions of a disturbed young man to try to score forced partisan points.

[Raschel]

12. Who's trying to"score forced political points"?

I mean, this is a situation where -- I mean, people don't -- they really need to realize that the rhetoric and firing people up and, you know, even things, for example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list. But the thing is that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gunsight over our district.

When people do that, they've gotta realize there's consequences to that action.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/flashback-giffords-warned-of-consequences-to-palins-target-imagery-video.php

[AmBlue]

13. Very sad...

It makes me very sad to think of the world that Gabby Giffords will have to wake up to. So many among us have lost their humanity... and simple common sense.