Loughner didn't have to be teabagger

[MrScorpio]

All he had to be was a man with a gun who was intent on committing an act of violence.

He's didn't have to follow anyone's "instructions", other than his own.

But in his world, his act of violence was all too easy to commit.

Look at the pieces that were set before him and identify the cast of characters that put them there.

The glorification of gun culture and violence, the rhetoric promoted by figures of authority, the impotency of existence in the absence of violence that seemed so inviting to a coldly callous and unstable mind and the dehumanization that's rampant in our society that turns living, breathing people into little more than moving targets.

Until these key ingredients are removed from the mix, the Jared Lee Loughners of the world will continue to act as they will.

Just blaming the teabaggers is pretty short sighted… As they too react to the very same stimuli, but only with little more that brandishing and bluster, instead of making good on their threats.

The rabbit hole, my friends, is way deeper than that.

[stray cat]

1. Hinkley tried to assasinate Reagan - it isn't always about politics but fame

[MrScorpio]

4. It's like fame cannibalization...

Only instead of giant iron kettle, the primary utensil is a gun

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. If I see an ad for duncan donuts telling me to buy donuts, I may do it.

It doesn't mean I eat donuts on a regular basis.

This guy may have saw this ad with the crosshairs, and said "ok, here's what I'm sposed to do"

[Zax2me]

5. He MAY HAVE a lot of things...

But the more info comes out, the more likely your scenario is proven wrong.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/tucson-shooting-friend-jared-loughner-speaks-motive-alleged/story?id=12597092

Just, wait, for ALL the facts. Hell, palin or limbaugh or any of those types are not going to grow intellect overnight - they will always be there to expose their own stupidity. Daily, in fact.
Why blindly tie them to this shooting which will, potentially, only reflect poorly on your judgment?

[Democrats_win]

3. Yes: "All too easy to commit." Instead it should be a big stigma.

The disappearance of the stigma of taking a gun and pointing it at a person is the whole issue.


Recall how a neighbor of George W. Bush's Texas ranch once shot a gun in the air to send some sort of message to the protestors. This should be unthinkable. The stigma is gone thanks to people like Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin.

[livetohike]

6. He could have been wearing or waving the teabagger flag and

people would still deny this wasn't political. A Congresswoman was the target - a Democratic Congresswoman. Among all Loughners internet postings are ramblings about going back to the gold standard (a favorite stance of Ron and Rand Paul), Loughner is also against big government. So there are several influences from the teabag world in play here.

I think Palin, Beck, et all gave him the impression that killing someone was an acceptable solution to getting rid of the problem as they perceive it.

[MrScorpio]

8. I'm not denying that his violence wasn't political at its core

I'm just saying that the politics coincided greater issues.

[livetohike]

9. I agree with everything in your OP. The right wing is trying

so hard to distance themselves from this and I don't think it's defensible.

[fasttense]

7. We all live in a society that influences us.

The corporate media manipulates and entice us for fun and profit.

Fox, Sarah, Glenn and Limpballs are there to manipulate and influence us too. They did the same thing to the shooter. He merely took them more seriously than most people did.

[EC]

10. I don't blame the baggers,

but they sure made people feel like it's okay and normal to want to hurt Democrats or even kill them...