Violent Rhetoric Can Lead to Tragedies Like Arizona Shooting

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That is so, and the left would do well to remember it.
Harry Truman called the tactics exhibited by the leftist politicians and media last week, "The Big Lie".
Truman said that if a group shouts long enough and loud enough then the "lie" would be accepted as factual by most folks.
Well, the left tried that old trick last week, but the right stream media - armed with facts - was able to expose the tactic for all to see.
I suspect the left will act in a more clever and subtle fashion next time.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 12:22PM January 18, 2011

Let's face it, it doesn't matter what is ACTUALLY happening, the left have written the news for us ahead of time. They have a pre-written template when tragedies like the Tucson shooting happen. "He was a (fill in "Tea Party" here) follower who listened to (insert talk radio host here) and was inspired by (insert Sarah Palin or Glenn Beck here). "
The ignorance and outright pathetic behavior exhibited from people like David Brock is only magnified after tragic events. Their code of conduct and lack of "journalistic" integrity will ultimately be the thing that sinks their ship...

August of MD 11:45AM January 17, 2011

A company I worked for went even farther, having a WAR ROOM for marketing strategy.
This is really an example of the feigned hypersensitivity power play--a variant of political correctness. Hypersensitivity intimidates, so by feigning outrage at Republican rhetoric the lefties are trying to intimidate the opposition. No leftie on earth really thinks Sarah Palin used the metaphor of a crosshair to incite sniper killings with a scoped high power rifle. Like a Shakespeare sonnet is Palin's speech with its high sounding metaphors and poetic use of hyperbole.

Luther of AL 3:19AM January 17, 2011

"seem to suggest she knew it was wrong" ???
CEO of Media Matters whatever you are paid it is too much. If you must say "seem to suggest" don't say it. Can't you folks say what you prove ?
Quoting out of context without link fools only liberals looking for validation of their belief. Maybe that is Media Matters purpose. Home for gullible liberals.
Was proper for Sarah to take down crosshairs after tragedy. Am sure Democrats would have taken down their bullseye under similar circumstances. Correct thing to do...

Bill Hedges of MO 1:21AM January 17, 2011

David Brock. You are an idiot. I can't say it enough.

Miketallica of WI 2:49PM January 16, 2011

I am a salesperson and I just received an email asking me if wanted to target more customers. I am confused now, was that hate speech against my customers?

kewaal of GA 10:03AM January 16, 2011

Isn't it strange. It is unacceptable to question the need/appropriateness of violent rhetoric on the political stage, but the NFL can step in and challenge players regarding trash talk. Vince Wilfork could possibly become a target of physical violence based upon remarks made this past week and the NFL seemingly has enough brains to want to avoid that risk. Yet we are just burying the last of 6 victims in Arizona and 13 others were shot - one a member of Congress and it is not okay to say enough trash talking. Somehow Sarah Palin and the tea party see themselves as the victims. I do not say that the citizens of Arizona are necessarily the victims. According to research they went out and bought more guns after the Saturday shooting. It is true that the shooter was clearly mentally ill. Is it not blatantly obvious that our society with its unquestioned right to not just guns but assault weapons is also mentally ill? Look at the violence in video games that even small children have access to. Just who is it that benefits from all of this? It is the NRA and the Republican operatives in our government that they fund. It is the producers of weapons and the arms dealers who also fund members of our Congress. Free speech is fine but at what point are the monied interests going to be reined in so that the interests of ordinary voting citizens are not trampled upon. The Supreme Court decision last year regarding election contributions clearly pointed to the need for legislation to remedy this. But, I suppose it would be too much to hope that our legislators, whose pockets are lined by the NRA and big corporations, would be interested in dealing with that.

Mary Sweeney of MA 8:51AM January 16, 2011

Really Brock, are you so desperate to live in a world where you don't have to be accountable for yourself that you would even extend that to low lives who murder innocent people????? Fox News didn't shoot anyone, Glenn Beck didn't shoot anyone, and Sarah Palin didn't shoot anyone so how can you blame them. Whatever happened to being responsible for your own actions. So i guess what your saying is president Lincoln and the newspapers of the time are responsible for his assassination since it was his policies that motivated John Wilkes Booth to shoot him and after all it was the press that reported it to his killer. And i suppose President Kennedy is also responsible for his own death based on the same grounds??? Do you see how stupid you sound. looks to me like your just looking for an excuse to rub Fox News' name in the dirt because they called you out for what you are.

Matt S of IN 10:19PM January 15, 2011

David Brock, you are a mindless, spinless, sniveling, whimpering idiot. You have not one shread of evidence that any "rhetoric" espoused by any person has caused any action from anybody. If it did, there would be no more conservatives because you low life pablum puking liberals have tried every tactic you can think of from callling conservatives racist to prostutes. You have even attacked the children of conservatives with your venom while knowing full well that you were lying, and hiding behind your flimsy "freedom of the press". Do you nit wits not realize that as soon as the Progressives, such as yourselves, take total control, that will probably be the very first "right" to go. Do you have no idea what you are trying to do to the constitution? Based on your performance, in print, I don't think you do.

Woody Alford of WA 7:17PM January 15, 2011

Several leaders are pointing to the role of personal responsability:'this crime is the criminal sole responsability" But for me, every citizen has both an individual responsability and responsability for his community, his family, neighboardhood, state and finally country. In fact, I believe a great part of individual responsability is to fullfil our community responsability that is why we serve our country in wars, why we pay taxes, why we participate in our state schools, etc. So setting aside the individual responsability that in this case is a complete paradox: how a mentally ill person can show responsability for himself; for me the question is What did we do, if anything as a community to prevent these events? Are we doing enough? Are we living to the expectations our kids desires for a better country? I believe we are fallen very short. Why guns are so easy to get by mentally ill people? Why do we allow extended magazines? Why are we fixated with guns? And finally, why are we systematically demonazing good americans that just happen to think different than us? As citizen is a critical personal responsability to attend to these questions, to make a better country for our kids.
The connection of the hatred spread with TV figures with actual crimes is also of great concern and is part of our personal responsability to denounce them and do all we can to stop them. I hope we use free speech with great responsability with the intent to discuss our ideas to make a better country not to destroy our adversaries.

Juan J of MA 7:44AM January 15, 2011