Free (for all)

I've always been the kind of person that, if I'm mad at you and sit down to write you an email... after thinking it through, editing it and re-reading it 15 times, I very rarely actually send it.  I can really expel my frustrations 'on paper'... it helps me to organize my thoughts, be rational and fair and not hold it all in.  

I sat down for over an hour the other day trying to write a summation on my thoughts on the Sarah Palin/Arizona shooting incident and another today.  Since it's a known fact that I think she is the epitome of a dumb-ass jackwagon, it was hard to say anything, let alone somehow see her side.  While I don't think that we will ever know the intentions of the deranged shooter and if they're connected to Palin, she definitely has blood on her hands.  Whether her choice of words, placement of crosshairs and public image added to any of it, is not for me to judge.  She will get hers.  However, in listening to the media and responses (of politicians, columns, blogs, comments), it's clear that nothing is going to change.  Sadly, for me, the issues aren't even in the fore-front of my anger and frustration... it's the rhetoric and behaviors that I can't get past and, for sure, NONE of that is going to change.  Grand-standing has become the way of life here in America... with everyone trying to get their reality show on-air... or sell their book... or get elected... or whatever else they have sold themselves out for in the name of the 'good' of the people.  Until those goals change, there will never be anything productive done.  When did public service become self-service?

For what I am about to say, I am not proud... but I am honest if nothing else.  I have to admit that my first thought when I heard of the news of the shooting was 'why couldn't it have been Palin?'.   I suppose that comes from a sense that she is unstoppable, with episode after episode after ridiculous episode unraveling and she just gets stronger.  Her followers share the same nonsensical logic of 'shoot-em-up' idiocracy that makes her a threat to peace.  I guess the fear (when you look at her Facebook page comments from supporters) is that the country is far more worse than anyone could ever imagine, and if it came down to it, those who are calling for the end to the violence the most are those who hypocritically hold the guns.  The rest of us are screwed.  And since dialogue and logic and concession are not tools of conversation for these people, the rage sweeps over you that you are forced to stoop to that level to be heard... and then you're no better.  While I am not afraid of other viewpoints, languages, people, religions... I am afraid of irrational behavior, because there's nothing you can do with that to move forward.