Rep Giffords shot

What a tragedy in Tuscon yesterday.   It really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone though, not with all the vitriol and bile being spewed on a daily basis from talking heads on television and radio.  Don't get me wrong, the shooter obviously had a few screws loose, actually more than a few, and he ultimately bears the responsibility for these senseless deaths but you do need to ask yourself where these thoughts and beliefs that he had in his head came from don't you?   Did Sarah Palin really need to use "crosshairs" in her tea party ads this past fall?  What of Sharron Angle's "second amendment remedies" comment?  What of all the "birthers"?  What of Joe Wilson yelling "liar" at Barack Obama during his health care speech?  What of all the "town hall disruptions"?  On a whole aren't all of those things, and many many other similar acts of rhetoric, perhaps enough to push someone with a few screws loose to take some sort of drastic action?  I think so, words can have consequences and it's time people man up and admit to that fact.  Interestingly enough, it appears that those in the tea party movement and those on the far right are already trying to run away from this horrible incident.  I for one hope it's a wake up call to a little bit more reasoned and rationale dialogue going forward.