Frank Rich: No One Listened to Gabrielle Giffords

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16rich.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

OF the many truths in President Obama’s powerful Tucson speech, none was more indisputable than his statement that no one can know what is in a killer’s mind. So why have we spent so much time debating exactly that?

The answer is classic American denial. It was easier to endlessly parse Jared Lee Loughner’s lunatic library — did he favor “The Communist Manifesto” or Ayn Rand? — than confront the larger and harsher snapshot of our current landscape that emerged after his massacre. A week on, that denial is becoming even more entrenched. As soon as the president left the podium Wednesday night, we started shifting into our familiar spin-dry post-tragedy cycle of the modern era — speedy “closure,” followed by a return to business as usual, followed by national amnesia.

If we learn nothing from this tragedy, we are back where we started. And where we started was with two years of accelerating political violence — actual violence, not to be confused with violent language — that struck fear into many, not the least of whom was Gabrielle Giffords.

(snip)
In her MSNBC interview that Wednesday, Giffords said that Palin had put the “crosshairs of a gun sight over our district,” adding that “when people do that, they’ve got to realize there’s consequences to that action.” Chuck Todd then asked Giffords if “in fairness, campaign rhetoric and war rhetoric have been interchangeable for years.” She responded that colleagues who had been in the House “20, 30 years” had never seen vitriol this bad. But Todd moved on, and so did the Beltway. What’s the big deal about a little broken glass? Few wanted to see what Giffords saw — that the vandalism and death threats were the latest consequences of a tide of ugly insurrectionism that had been rising since the final weeks of the 2008 campaign and that had threatened to turn violent from the start.

[sabrina 1]

1. And he is right about this:

speedy “closure,” followed by a return to business as usual, followed by national amnesia.

Same thing happened after Columbine, just 'move on' as if those who lose loved ones can do that on cue. I've really come to despise that phrase and all its variations 'look forward, not backward' etc. etc.

Kennedy was far more correct when he said 'those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it' but we continue to ignore it.

Even after Byron Williams headed out to murder 'liberals' at the ACLU and the Tide Foundation and stated clearly that he was motivated by
Glenn Beck, his chilling words were basically ignored by the MSM who seem obsessed with protecting the rightwing hate machine or at least forcing the rest of us to share the blame.

From John Hamilton's interview with Byron Williams which had Williams been a leftie citing any leftwing talk show host would have gotten non-stop coverage on the MSM:

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/1/14/why_is_glenn_beck_obsessively_targeting

BYRON WILLIAMS: I would have never started watching Fox News if it wasn’t for the fact that Beck was on there. And it was the things that he did, it was the things he exposed, that blew my mind. I said, "Well, nobody does this." Beck will never say anything about a conspiracy, will never advocate violence. He’ll never do anything of this nature. But he’ll give you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need. Go look at all the stuff that you’ll find. I would suggest you go back and see, try to find the videos about—all the June videos.

JOHN HAMILTON: I think this is one of the most important points, that, no, Glenn Beck doesn’t advocate explicitly for violence, but in Byron Williams’s mind, Glenn Beck gives you every ounce of evidence that you could possibly need.

BYRON WILLIAMS: You know, I’ll tell you. Beck is going to deny everything about violent approach, deny everything about conspiracies, but he’ll give you every reason to believe in it. He is protecting himself, and you can’t blame him for that. So, I understand what he’s doing.

And they are still doing it. Rep. Giffords was clearly unnerved by the threats and attacks she was subjected to but no one wanted to talk about it.

[spanone]

2. k&r....

[stevedeshazer]

3. The loser of this exchange is Chuck Todd.

I'd sure like to see his reading list.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. Does he condone the violence?

he's obviously on their side

[bobbolink]

5. Speaking for myself, I feel hopeless about doing anything at all about it.

After being one of millions working to stop the war before it started, and doing all I can think of to do to gain activism on homelessness and being ignored, I just don't see that there is much I can do about anything.

I'm guessing there are a lot of people who feel pretty much the same way.

Gay folk had a big triumph after years of activism. The rest of us......

Just in writing this, I am guessing I will be blasted. That's part of the whole hopelessness feeling... it just doesn't matter what one says or does anymore.

[Kurovski]

6. It does matter. It always matters.

And it always will matter.

Even in disagreements, people get their points across. We learn.

Progress for even one American means progress for all. One ruling, ten, two-hundred. three-hundred million.

Stop and rest, but keep going.

[Pooka Fey]

7. K&R

[malaise]

8. That's right Frank

but don't expect Fuckie Todd or Savannah 'Gotyou' or others to admit they were wrong.

Send this to family and friends and post it on social networks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8P1ff9naCI

[madmax]

9. Congresswoman Giffords tape made in March

is, imho THE most powerful piece of evidence that the right is lying about crosshairs and surveying references. 'They' and Palin knew exactly what they were doing.

If it was mis-understood, Sarah Tall and Stupid, should have come out and said something at the time. Bullshit - they were crosshairs and we and Congresswomen Giffords know it.

I'm not saying that the disturbed young man acted on that ad but, the fact remains that the repugs are serious about 2nd Amendment Rights, 'taking people out', and the rest of their vitriol.