Maybe this point has been made and I may have missed it in the copious and dense fog of heavy crossfire concerning the culpability of the Tea Party and its advocates. A fact, based on evidence available at this time, has identified Loughner's obsession with Congresswoman Giffords dating back to 2007. The Tea Party movement began ......when? Right.....well after 2007.

My heart grieves with the nation over the unspeakable tragedy in Arizona. While I admire those who can rise above the emotions this human tragedy evokes and who can express themselves with aloof, dispassionate indifference while suggesting those with fire in the belly react with the same passively cold logic, I finally take exception. I have tried so hard to remain an objective observer to the debate like some have suggested in this forum, but alas, I cannot. I cannot standby while those with selfish motivation and malice, use this tragedy employing sinister, calculated rhetoric to suppress the right of political expression and dissent by those who disagree with the government's current agenda. History tells us what can happen when good people remain passive and mute.

I was first struck by the differences in the way the Obama administration and the main stream media reacted to this unspeakably tragic mass murder and the way they reacted when Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim of Palestinian decent murdered 12 American soldiers, 1 civilian and wounded 30 others at Ft. Hood. After the slaughter, "Yemen-based cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, quickly declared Hasan a hero, as "fighting against the U.S. army is an Islamic duty", (Wikipedia)

My recollection is that we were asked to suppress our reaction to a clearly terrorist assassination of Americans. We were nudged into passive acceptance and encouraged to throttle back our outrage because it might upset good "Muslims". Now, with limited exception, the media, including the NY Times have stretched the fact pattern to suggest and imply by innuendo, right wing, Republican, Tea Party and Sarah Palin culpability for the tragedy. Bernie Sanders, as astutely noted by Number 6, is using the tragedy in a despicable fund raising effort to fight Republicans. Did any member of Congress call for a fund to fight Islamic terrorism? Why do "good" Muslims get a pass and "good" , patriotic Americans get the blame? Why does an actual act of terrorism at Ft. Hood get "kid glove" treatment by the media and the White House and the Tea Party and Sarah get the back of the hand and an obligatory nod with the wink of the eye meaning "go get them?"

I apologize for reacting with my gut instead of passive objectivity and distressing those with an insidious agenda. Naaaay....I take the apology back. As Teddy Roosevelt once wrote,

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

With passionate intention, I reject the passive acceptance of any attempt to suppress the freedom of expression by any party. I categorically reject the calculated, subtle, relentless assault on our First Amendment rights by those who feel it stands in the way of their power, control and influence in the politcal arena.