A tenant of the left has been that of free speech. How would you propose that we bring down the rhetoric? Government regulation of speech? The tide may have turned in favor of the right in regard to the voices being heard today. Is that why we need to regulate their speech? I believe for years the media has favored the left. If there is a lack of voices being heard on television and radio from the left today it is because their ideas have failed in the the marketplace of public opinion.

I’m not sure if anything is accomplished here if people are not willing to consider another side. For my part, I concede vile rhetoric does not help our county regardless of where it comes from and that mentally unstable people could be influenced by it and do bad things.

I adamantly defend those that were unfairly smeared before the evidence in this particular case is known.

Sarah Palin and her gunsights over congress members she wants out of office.

Sharron Angle’s call to use second amendment remedies to stop Congress.

Michelle Bachman calling for the people of Minnesota to be armed and dangerous to fight energy policy reform.

Glenn Beck blathering on about progressive politics as a conspiracy to take over the country and take away our liberty. And Glenn Beck again and again and again, and many, many others including “hate radio” hosts who themselves say ridiculous things and allow callers to fuel the fire.

Years ago people who spoke like this would be either laughed at or ignored, and of course watched over the FBI. Now they’ve been given a stage and it’s mainstream thought instead of crazy. Sure, Loughner had a deranged personality and shouldn’t have been out with gun. There are hundreds more just like him and they’re being exposed continually to a lot of crazy talk.

You, the President or Jon Stewart may view this video differently and take issue with Mr. Dupniks motives but I don’t hear anything that I feel he needs to apologize for.

I’m not trying to pick a fight. It would just comfort me to know that someone else on this blog would at least acknowledge you don’t have be a right-wing zealot to believe that the cause of this tragedy has not yet been proven to be right-wing rhetoric.

I’ll concede that our nation would benefit by increased civility by all.

I didn’t think republicans had to worry about it.

Miller, a 43-year-old Ahwatukee Foothills resident and former campaign worker for U.S. Sen. John McCain, was re-elected to a second one-year term last month. He said constant verbal attacks after that election and Internet blog posts by some local members with Tea Party ties made him worry about his family’s safety.”

full store at The Arizona Republic: http://bit.ly/gllZl2

Maybe I’m misunderstanding you but I’m pretty sure the Worlds Media organizations are taking blogs seriously. While anonymous commenters may become a nuisance, most of the people publishing (paper or electronic editions) put their names and reputations on the line.

I would imagine that when Contrarian is talking about “lock and load”, he or she isn’t speaking to millions of Americans but more than likely in private conversation And the problem is that when there are individuals who are living on the edge anyhow, and are easily influenced by such emotional language, it is difficult to understand why one would even consider (if they were at all conscientious and concerned about the welfare of every person) making those remarks.

One more thing: An aide to Palin said that it was obscene and appalling to blame Sarah for the shootings. She said those markings on the graphic were not gunsights; they were simply crosshairs like you would see on a map.

Well, those particular “gun-sight” markings are not called “crosshairs” on a map OR in surveying.

Someone who tweets posted one of Sarah’s comments on her twitter page.

“Remember months ago (the) “bullseye” icon used to target the 20 Obamacare lovin’ incumbent seats? We won 18 out of 20 (90 % success rate. T’ain’t bad).”

Tell me that she was just writing in “mapmaker” jargon: