Affixing blame in the Arizona shootings

I promised myself I wouldn’t write about the tragic shooting over the weekend that
leaves Rep. Giffords clinging to life and other families mourning the loss of their
loved ones. It’s a profound tragedy, and words cannot describe such senseless violence.
 
But here in Washington, operatives with little decency, even of the political kind,
are quick to affix blame. And I want to say just one thing.
 
Please, for the memory and love of those who perished, do not cheapen this criminal
act with political charges. The shooter was crazy. Pure and simple. He echoed and
acted on behalf of the devil himself — pure evil. Not a political party. To think
otherwise drags the memory of those into the ditch, where it need not go.
 
If this truly were some political hit indirectly ordered and dispatched on those
at that corner this weekend, then why were Democrat operatives cunningly recommending
the White House “deftly pin this on the Tea Partiers”? That’s a direct
quote, folks. “Deftly pin this … ” If this shooter (to even mention
his name is to move him into some status other than the obscurity in which he should
remain) were really acting as an agent of the Tea Party movement, as some have boldly
implied, there would be no need to “try and pin” this on anyone. The nation
would have known. When someone or some group is culpable for actions on such a stage
as this, the accountability is clear. Here it is not, for the simple reason that
this deranged kid acted in a random piece of violence.
 
Further, news accounts on Sunday were using the badge and office held by Pima County
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik as the final authority that in fact this shooting was politically
charged, and hence, Tea Party activists are responsible. Please. Again, if the evidence
were so obvious, then let our nation’s time-honored courts exact such justice.  Sheriff Dupnik is an elected Democrat. Do I care?
Only when he makes ignorant statements because someone stuck a camera in his face
and this is his moment to wax political. And neither should any American care of
his rhetoric, so long as the sheriff does his job, and that is bring the lawless
to apprehension.
 
Kudos to MSNBC host Keith Olbermann. (Bet you thought I’d never say that!) The newscaster
took to the airwaves on Saturday night, not to inflame the chatter, but rather to
call for some peace and calm in this maelstrom. It is time to revive a little more
civil debate in this town and in the words we speak and write. That should begin
with the president not taking the bait of the likes of Emanuel-inspired admonishments
to “never let a crisis go to waste.” We should indeed let this crisis
go to waste, out of respect for the fallen.
 
To everything there is a season. As tempting as it may be, we cannot — we must not
— allow this terrible episode of violence to meander down the path of simple-minded
fools.

Armstrong Williams is on Sirius/XM Power 169, 7-8 p.m. and 4-5 a.m., Monday through Friday. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arightside, and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/arightside.