COMMENTARY | After a weekend of speculation surrounding the motives for the attempted assassination of Ariz. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the Internet is abuzz with people blaming political vitriol. Some of the people named in particular include Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck.
Two days after the shooting, right-wing pundits have responded in kind. Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh have all added their voices in response to the shooting.
Beck says he was in “Spider-Man” when the news broke and chose not to go on the air. Beck also said on Monday “every American citizen can make a personal choice today.” The shootings happened Saturday, not today. We had choices to make on Saturday.
Beck also said Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik had no facts when he blamed political vitriol as a possible motive. Wrong — the man said nothing like that. Dupnik only said it was his opinion when asked. Dupnik is an elected official and a leader in the community. In no way did he specifically string together words like “the suspect we have in custody was motivated by right wing vitriol.”
Those who took to the Internet in the immediate aftermath of the tragic events have spread ideologies of blaming the right. That’s nice that Beck has taken a stand against violence in his open letter to the American people. Let’s see how long he maintains it.
Rush Limbaugh is also playing with the facts when he claims no one has real facts. Limbaugh said defendant Jared Lee Loughner’s family has “hired” defense attorney Judy Clarke who also represented the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. The New York Times says she is a public defender and has been assigned to Loughner and not hired by the family.
Limbaugh asks where’s the evidence to blame the right wing? Perhaps he should be asking where he gets his facts from–being wealthy enough to hire a defense attorney and having a public defender are two very different details which Limbaugh ought to be able to get right if he’s going to argue the minutiae of facts versus opinion.
Everyone who denounced the atrocities in Arizona said so hours after the shooting and didn’t wait until Monday. Why the delay from commentators Beck and Limbaugh? It’s not because they didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Anyone can post a message and take a few moments to add their voices to the outcry of outrage at the shootings.
This so-called “vacuum of leadership” Beck talks existed only in the minds of these media types which helped perpetrate violent images in political discourse. This vacuum existed Saturday when Beck, Limbaugh and the like didn’t say anything until Monday when the shooting happened Saturday.
Anyone who was a leader in this situation made a statement immediately and took a stand to end violence.
That’s great that Beck denounces violence and agrees each person needs to take responsibility. So, how have you shown us you’re going to take responsibility? You can’t have it both ways–you can’t look for leadership in the situation and fail to be a leader yourself. If everyone is supposed to take responsibility then you must start with your own personal choices and expound upon them to your listeners and viewers.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.
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