Jackson Jambalaya

Blaming Palin for the Tuscon shooting is just dumb. The kid who did it is clearly nuts and probably evil, he would have exploded like that whether the world heard of Palin or not.

The cartoonists, in their simplistic approach to a very complex issue and their desire to sucker punch an obvious target, they are giving her the moral high ground. The left's obsession with her is only giving her more influence and longevity.

All that said, I still don't like her one bit and PRAY that she doesn't end up on the R ticket for 2012.

She made her bed. She must now lie in it. However, this will not change her popularity or lack thereof.

Hey Donna, this is your side talking here. Still can't see the hate?

Come on dudes… those are surveyor’s marks…

what are the peoples thought on Palin using crosshairs over certain democratic leaders faces? Seemed innocent at the time but if im not mistaken Gifford was on of them...

His friends, neighbors, bank tellers, and teachers to name a few have all come out and said they were scared of this kid when they were around him. He was a walking time bomb. It could have been his teacher or one of the ladies who worked at the bank he shot. The Congresswoman was just there when he got it in his crazy head he wanted to kill someone. I'm no big fan of Sarah Palin, but she is no more the blame for this horrible thing as any of us are.

The use of crosshairs over "targets" didn't start with Palin, it's been done for a long time. I dislike it -- images DO matter and it makes the political seem personal (i.e, you can't use gun sights to target a district, but you can use them to target an individual).

I am not in favor of language or imagery that seems to dehumanize or deligitimize people simply for political purposes. You can't blame on act of violence on one particular image in this case, but it all contributes to a political atmosphere where peoples' common ties as Americans have become secondary to their identities as "enemies."

I don't want to restrict free speech, but I really do wish people had sense enough to stay away from images and words that are JUST TACKY.

The problem with Palin, Angle etc. is that when this went down, they had to be holding their breaths for whether this guy *was* in fact inspired by the violent rhetoric they've spouted and endorsed.

Now, as it turns out, the guy seems to've been a 100% certifiable psycho, and any influence -- he did after all shoot a Democratic Congresswoman, not a Republican senator for instance -- was so indirect as to be irrelevant.

But better, surely, not to go around saying crap about "Second Amendment remedies" and NOT having to hold your breath when someone out there appears to've taken your advice.

speaking of second ammendment rights. did you hear the bs about there was a guy with a gun who almost shot the guy who un-armed the killer. this story comes from the left and i must say i am impressed with their creativity

p.s. KF what happened to the rez post it disappeared

I certainly don't blame Palin for this tragedy. However, I blame her for much of the diviceveness and real animosity in American politics today. Being an old codger, I've lived through a lot of political give and take, and I never imagined seeing the war between/among the parties as it is today. Sad, sad, sad!

4:38, are you saying that the story isn't true? I was under the impression that the man who pulled his gun on the guy who "un-armed" the real shooter had been interviewed by the local papers in Arizona.

9.10 - i am saying that they are trying to spin this story into an anti-second amendment deal. you have repubs who say we needed more armed personnel at the event and the demos who say even with guns there can be disaster. Honestly it is the most impressed i have been with demos creating a story to battle the second ammendment...

dear Old Codger,
Your knowledge of American political history is limited. There was no one dirtier than LBJ. You must have missed comments made by Chuck Shummer and Harry Reid. How about when Kennedy and other Democrats "borked" Robert Bork. Then there was the Clarence Thomas hearing.
Your comment reminds me of a time when rape was blamed on the woman. Must have been the way they were dressed, were asking for it, etc. After women in their 70s and 80s were getting raped it came out rape was about POWER. Blaming Palin for todays political climate is like blaming a woman for being raped. Put the blame squarely where it belongs, with the left/progressives/liberal democrats.

Nobody here knows if this guy was influenced by Palin or anyone else. The point is that the hatred spewed from both sides is destroying this country. Have you ever heard of divide and conquer? It is alive and well.

Palin is ignorant on many things that someone in her position should know. She is not alone, Ann Coulter is another. They are both nice to look at and generate hate against a common enemy.

Palin could not hold a candle to the rest of the world. The USA is falling quickly as a world power. Palin would steer the ship into an iceberg well within 4 years of the presidency.

Get over it. Palin is weak.

Obama is weak and has spent 2 years proving it. Get over it.

(Regarding 8:52) I've been waiting on someone to bring up Coulter. To me, Coutler's words have far, far, more daggers than Palin's at times.

But, that said, I love, love, Coutler.

I see those cartoons and think two things. One, Palin must have balls of titanium. Love her or hate her, she doesn't back down when she has GOT to feel like a (excuse the pun) target of this whole country. And two, Lord I hope she has a good body guard, or ten.

Interesting that Coulter's name just came up today -- her column today skewers the left's attempt at pinning the AZ shootings on Palin and the right.

OH GEEZ

That we can't involuntarily commit a dangerous person until they've done something dangerous ( ie harming themselves or others)is the larger problem. We used to be able to do that and there is a practical/rational position between violating the rights of the mentally ill and protecting them and society ...IF we didn't have to politicize every damn thing.

That said, when someone is thinking " crazy thoughts", giving the insane an excuse to think their " obsession" or " hatred" is rational by using inflammatory language( or imagery) is just pouring gasoline on a fire.

There are consequences and reactions from/to our hateful actions and language whether we like it or not.

It's like putting a drop ink into a glass of water.It may just be a drop but it turns the water black.

There are numerous LEGAL limits to " free speech". But, beyond that, CIVILIZED, WELL MANNERED people have more sense that to vent their frustrations in public.