Elmont Online

Just maybe it is time we all say what this rhetoric is doing. When Sarah Palin famously remarked “don’t retreat, reload” and when Sharron Angle invoked “second amendment remedies”, did they not know that they were putting the public at risk or, are they privately disappointed Representative Giffords is “only wounded”.

When the republican house leadership and the tea party coined the phrase “The Job Killing, Obama Care Law” what were they thinking? Should they have known that the logical conclusion of their inflammatory official act could cause harm to others?

When the Arizonans attacked non-white "Hispanic looking people" with the passage of what is arguably an unconstitutional immigration law, what were they thinking? “We were making Arizona safe for ...?”

When Rush and Shawn and Sarah and Sharron and Boehner and Cantor and McCain shout their thinly cloaked calls to arms on the public air waves what are they hoping for, President Obama’s head?

Before we deceive ourselves by embracing our tried, true and tired standard “loan actor”; “single lunatic”; “disturbed character” mantra and before we rush to the First Amendment for cover let us remember that rights have responsibilities and the 6 dead persons, including a child, probably beg to differ.

We know the power of words and the power of images because we spend billions of dollars pushing messages every year with words and images. We are so good at messaging that "perfectly sane people" discard perfectly good cars in favor of next years model. "Perfectly sane people" stay erect for hours as their under-exercised, overweight bodies come apart. "Perfectly sane people" buy things they do not need, check your attic or a landfill near you, for there sits the evidence of the power of words.

Do you know this character in the House Video?  Maybe a neighbor, a friend, a relative ... me?  As we go forward lets remember in Arizona anyone can carry a concealed gun legally.  Reports claim that at least two other people were carrying concealed guns at the scene.  If the arguement is "lets all have guns, IT MAKES US SAFER" then what happened?  Six dead, over a dozen wounded and THIS house video.