From the Chicago Sun-Times OP-Ed: Well said!

Read the whole thing here:

We cannot walk away from this one.


We cannot blame one nutjob for the shooting of 19 people Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., and wash our hands of it.


We cannot pretend that this is only about him and not about us.


Worst of all, we cannot say we were not warned.


For more than two years, sensible people have been pleading with their fellow Americans to tone down the rhetoric, to quit with the demonizing, to end the fear-mongering.


In what kind of country, the sensible people asked, do political leaders across the board not condemn a sign at a rally that reads: “We left our guns at home — this time”?


In what kind of country do people show up at presidential speeches with guns on their hips?

We are not a nation of 'either/ or", we are not really a nation of polarized politcs.  Most of us fall somewhere in a spectrum, most of us fall somewhere nearer the middle than the extremist fringe.  But there has been an effort, an effort the exact opposite of the content of the speeches made by President Obama I would point out, that see us ALL as Americans, as part of a whole, not part of a fringe or extreme.  Not part of a narrow, angry segment that seeks to dominate that whole, imposing their views and being intolerant of others.

In what kind of a country do callers to radio shows routinely smear those with whom they disagree — beginning with our president — as “traitors” and “un-American,” while pandering hosts say only, “Thanks for the call.”

I don't usually read a lot of right wing blogs.  But I was actually shocked (and I don't shock easily) at how many people commented without being informed about the investigation, on the false accusation of disabled voters being fraudulently assisted to vote democratic (they didn't - some voted republican), who blythely made statements about democrats which considered everyone to the left of themselves - which includes a LOT of centrists  and independents - as criminals, as unethical people who clearly would not think twice about any evil action to get their way.  None of these people seem to be aware that the accuser, Monty Jensen, claims to have seen this illegal voting at 4:30 in the afternoon - an hour or more after those few disabled voters (not 25, not 4 busloads) had been and gone.  You can't see people who aren't there when you are there, much less not doing anything wrong when they are there voting.  People were willing to believe outrageous things about the Dinkytown frivolous ballots, without proof, without even a plausible accusation - the very allegation was stupid, and ludicrous. Just like the false accusation that liberals would not hesitate to kill old people, including their own family members.  Or the job-killing budget-busting claims.  Or the claims about the TSA.   This willingness to believe stupid things, crazy things, WRONG things and to make very strong accusations without any proof whatsoever is BAD, EVIL, and at the root of violent rhetoric and angry action and reaction on the right. 

That inaccuracy, that false agitation of people to be violent, it has to stop.  And now is the best time to drive that point home to people, while this tragedy has given them pause, while the deaths have stopped the anger and replaced it with shock and sadness, long enough for reason to finally have a chance to prevail.