So, I’m just as worried as everyone else that Jared Loughner, the man who attacked a political gathering in Arizona today, is some sort of politically-motivated rightwing nutjob. However, after a little research, I’m not convinced that’s actually the case.
Jared Loughner may have spouted conservative anti-government rhetoric, but if you watch his YouTube videos, the guy’s flat-out insane. I don’t mean in a figurative sense; I mean this literally. Just as John Hinckley didn’t represent liberal Democrats when he tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan, Loughner doesn’t represent conservative Republicans in this case. Both men are just nuts.
Don’t believe me? Take a gander at Loughner’s non-sensical YouTube tirades. Here they are, in chronological order:
How To: Your New Currency! (from 22 Nov 2010)
The Student at Pima Community College: An Unconstitutional Crime! (from 30 Nov 2010)
How To: Mind Controller (from 06 Dec 2010
Introduction: Jared Louhgner (from 15 Dec 2010)
Hello (from 15 Dec 2010)
Again, this doesn’t seem to be a Tea Party thing. It seems to be a mentally insane thing. This guy reminds me of the nutjobs I’ve mocked in the past, like the Time Cube guy, or the guy who posted a classified ad in the Salem paper about being forced to play basketball at the mental hospital.
So, please, just as you wouldn’t want conservatives to rush to judmgent about somebody who shot a Republican congressman, don’t do the same when it’s a Democratic congresswoman who has been shot. It may be that Loughner is a Tea Party crank — or he could just be somebody who is mentally ill.
Except that most rational people would point out, with some justification, that the Tea Party seems to attract a disproportionate share of people with mental issues. Just saying.
Jason, I’m not disagreeing that the Tea Party is nutty, but I don’t think it’s fair to say that its members have mental-health issues, not in this instance. Yes, many of us may think they’re crazy, but it’s a metaphorical crazy, not a genuine crazy like Loughner. Right?
@Jason that is because the Tea Party enjoys the convenience of ignoring practical solutions in order to justify unrealistic, often religiously motivated, solutions.
Interesting how Youtube can help give a sense of what is going on in the mind of someone insane. Just from that first video it became apparent that the kid is severely messed up.
While I agree that anyone who would do this act is insane, I don’t think the Tea-Party-type rhetoric is entirely without blame. Everyone knows there are crazy people out there, which is why sensible politicians (or wanna-be politicians) would NEVER even suggest that “taking out” an opponent is a good thing. The violent metaphor is not subtle, but perhaps too subtle for those living in their own distorted realities.
Don’t feed the craziness, or it will turn and eat you.
He tried to flee the scene. This will probably make it somewhat difficult to argue that he doesn’t know right from wrong.
JD, we can’t ignore the fact that this congresswoman was representing one of the districts on Sarah Palin’s infamous crosshairs map.
But, I understand and agree with your cautionary stance.
read this and you will know that his youtube videos are not insane ramblings they are based on this man’s teachings. Southern Poverty Law Center analyzed his writings and some of them appear to be ramblings but they are actually a form of LOGIC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wynn_Miller
I don’t think anyone can argue against the idea that retoric on both sides of the political spectrum has contributed to this tragedy. As a society we can’t continue to pretend that everyone is able to excercise the same kind of judgement and good reason as it relates to self control and responsibility. When politicians like Sarah Palin characterize their ideological arguments as a “war” and present those they disagree with as “enemies of the state” no one should be surprised when a certain element of society takes the “threat” seriously.