Tucson: Let It Be a Catalyst, Not More Fodder for Blame

Living in Arizona for the winter, only 100+ miles from Tucson, brings home to me the devastation of the senseless murders and wounding done by one sick individual. His time will come to be dealt with fairly and justly. The time for something else may have already come.

The noise from this tragedy has included the "blame game," both from the left and the right. Some would lay this man's rampage on the steps of the political scene over the past few years, which has been undeniably vitriolic. Yet to keep up this blaming is really fruitless, and actually may be non-productive. Instead of working to tamp down the rhetoric, the sides instead ramp it up by saying it was not their fault.

Let's take the Tucson Tragedy out of the mix and just admit that the political atmosphere has been poisonous of late, and not state as fact who may have been poisoned, so to speak. If this massacre is the catalyst for productive discourse in the political arena, then let it be one where we can move positively toward increased civility.

No one expects the left and the right to now come together holding hands around the campfire. There are deep policy differences and there still should be rigorous and occasionaly loud debate on the issues. Let's urge our politicos to just tone down the personal attacks and rank sarcasm that has become de rigueur over the past few campaigns.

Unless you really believe your colleague is a traitor to the USA, thus possibly deserving the death penalty, then don't toss out those bombs hoping to get something positive from the attacks. Unless you truly believe your colleague does not love America or does not want to do what is best for Americans, then tone it down a bit and make your best case for your side using cold, hard facts.

Eschew the hyperbole, the sarcastic vitriol, and baseless personal attacks. Most intelligent Americans see through that babble anyway, so it does little to promote the cause.

I finally have some hope that maybe the vituperative remarks may lessen, perhaps helped by the shocking attack in Tucson. Whatever the impetus, let's contact our Senators and Representatives and tell them to work hard for us in a civil way. And when they do that, as evidenced in the news or press releases, let's write them to just say, "Good work!" They like to get the good comments too. Maybe there is still hope for America.

The American Franchise - Get Out and Vote!

I cannot remember an election in my lifetime, especially a mid-term race, which was so overwhelming to the casual observer. Even if one did not watch television, the “signs, signs, everywhere signs” are worse than ubiquitous if that is possible.

The basic nastiness is not new, but the level of rancor seems at a new high (or low). Pollsters say that negativity works, but for me, a political ad that clearly is stretching for the truth turns me off to the sponsoring candidate.

All this pessimism has made some feel that it is not worth voting; that if there was a choice they would vote “None of the Above”, which they can actually do in Nevada and maybe other places.

Despite all that, the one franchise we have in this country is the opportunity to be heard though the ballot. Each vote does count, and this is how we get those folks to listen.

I am not urging a vote for any particular party or viewpoint; instead I want to urge every citizen to do a little research and not vote blindly, but to cast an educated ballot. The electorate is a powerful thing as I alluded to in a previous post on the book, “Obama Wars”. If you cannot make it to the polls on November 2 (or just don’t want to) stop by or write your municipal clerk for an absentee ballot. My wife and I did and have already cast our votes two weeks ago. The cash spent on attack ads this week is wasted on us. Our die is already cast.

Slamming Obama

I should have expected it. Once Barack Obama was getting close to being a seriously considered Democratic candidate, the slurs and half-truths start. Not so much with his current opponents, but those on the Internet wishing only to cloud the issues. First, I have to say that I have not come close to choosing who will get my vote in November (could even be a Republican), but I do have a great sense of fairness.

I am referring to a much-forwarded piece of Internet information that states Obama is a Muslim, that his step-father was a revolutionary, that he refuses to say the Pledge of Allegience, and many other half-lies.

If one takes the time to check http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp, you would see that most of what was written is simply not true, but with just enough of some tidbits on which to build the lies.

I am reading Obama's first book, Dreams From My Father, written in 1995 likely before he seriously considered running for president. It certainly is interesting and he does have a varied background very much unlike other candidates. But nothing he experienced would scare me away from considering him for our leader.

On the other hand, I am also reading Carl Bernstein's, A Woman in Charge, about Hillary Clinton and to the extent that I feel that Bernstein is a truthful, responsible journalist, I have decided that I could not vote for her -- oh, let me count the reasons. Another time, maybe.

There is so much negative in political races, so what little I can do to keep it above the line, I will try to do.