Never let a crisis go to waste
The number of people and media outlets attempting to gain political traction from the Gabrielle Gifford shooting is absolutely disgusting. It's mind-boggling to see the elements being latched onto in order to attempt to further an agenda. I can't even believe the blatant absurdity of it.
Here is an article (many similar ones carried by different outlets) proclaiming that the heroic intern in the shooting "could be asked for immigration papers":
http://globalgrind.com/channel/news/content/1900265/daniel-hernandez-hero-intern-who-assisted-gabrielle-gifford-could-be-asked-for-immigration-papers-photos/
No, the story isn't suggesting that there is any question about his legal status - he is a naturalized citizen. In essense, what we have is an entire story concocted around the fact that Daniel Hernandez, the heroic intern, is of Hispanic ancestry. Have you ever seen such lazy "reporting" and bald-faced agenda-pushing in your life? What in the blue fuck does Daniel Hernandez or the shooting have to do with immigration law? Because this one guy is both brave and Hispanic that means the entire law is invalid? A brutal MS-13 gang member "could be asked for immigration papers" as well. Regardless of one's stance on Arizona's immigration laws, this connection is the most tenuous and bizarre thing I've ever seen published. I can clearly envision some news idiot scanning over the AP releases and coming across the intern's name - "Hernandez! That's Mexican! I can write a whole story about this and be done in time for lunch!" Hey, morons. Your job is to report the news. Drawing idiotic connections and informing us that a guy named Hernandez is Latino isn't news. And what friggin' incompetent tools pass for editors nowadays?
We also have multipage news features written about Glock handguns, since that was the make Loughner used. You would think that Glock was the sole maker of semiautomatic pistols. One even stated "executives from Glock did not return requests for comment". What in the hell do you expect them to say? That their pistols obviously perform the function that they are designed to do, which is to spit lead from the business end? Gabrielle Gifford herself knew that, she owns one. That they are going to shut down their business because some psychopath used one of their products instead of a Beretta, Taurus, Ruger, or H&K to shoot a bunch of people? If Loughner had run over the group with a truck or bashed someone's head in with a bat would they be asking Peterbilt or the MLB commissioner for comment? By some accounts, 65% of police departments also use Glocks. Do you "ask them for comment" in the uncountable instances that they are used to hold a violent criminal at bay or to save a life? Of course not! More to come on the gun issue.
Then we have the political finger-pointing: it's the tea party's fault, it's the liberals' fault, it's Sarah Palin's fault. Much as I can't stand Palin, her little online map has nothing to do with shit. Want to know who's fault it really is? Are you ready for it?
JARED LEE LOUGHNER.
And since I'm offering a two-for-one special on common sense today, I'm even going to tell you why he did it. It might seem surprising, but it had nothing to do with Glocks, political discourse, teabaggers, or even morons from Alaska:
IT'S BECAUSE HE'S A GODDAMN NUT.
Wasn't that easy? Stop being freaking fools, people. Focus. I realize that there is always this compulsion by rational people to understand the irrational and the monstrous. We struggle to understand the "why?". It happened with Manson, it happened with Dahmer, it happened with the Columbine shooters, it happened with Jim Jones and countless others. Unfortunately, there is no rational "why" with lunatics. It's because they are, well, fucking lunatics.
On a brighter note, I'm very pleased to read this morning that Rep. Gifford is making great strides in her recovery. This is truly wonderful news.
Here is an article (many similar ones carried by different outlets) proclaiming that the heroic intern in the shooting "could be asked for immigration papers":
http://globalgrind.com/channel/news/content/1900265/daniel-hernandez-hero-intern-who-assisted-gabrielle-gifford-could-be-asked-for-immigration-papers-photos/
No, the story isn't suggesting that there is any question about his legal status - he is a naturalized citizen. In essense, what we have is an entire story concocted around the fact that Daniel Hernandez, the heroic intern, is of Hispanic ancestry. Have you ever seen such lazy "reporting" and bald-faced agenda-pushing in your life? What in the blue fuck does Daniel Hernandez or the shooting have to do with immigration law? Because this one guy is both brave and Hispanic that means the entire law is invalid? A brutal MS-13 gang member "could be asked for immigration papers" as well. Regardless of one's stance on Arizona's immigration laws, this connection is the most tenuous and bizarre thing I've ever seen published. I can clearly envision some news idiot scanning over the AP releases and coming across the intern's name - "Hernandez! That's Mexican! I can write a whole story about this and be done in time for lunch!" Hey, morons. Your job is to report the news. Drawing idiotic connections and informing us that a guy named Hernandez is Latino isn't news. And what friggin' incompetent tools pass for editors nowadays?
We also have multipage news features written about Glock handguns, since that was the make Loughner used. You would think that Glock was the sole maker of semiautomatic pistols. One even stated "executives from Glock did not return requests for comment". What in the hell do you expect them to say? That their pistols obviously perform the function that they are designed to do, which is to spit lead from the business end? Gabrielle Gifford herself knew that, she owns one. That they are going to shut down their business because some psychopath used one of their products instead of a Beretta, Taurus, Ruger, or H&K to shoot a bunch of people? If Loughner had run over the group with a truck or bashed someone's head in with a bat would they be asking Peterbilt or the MLB commissioner for comment? By some accounts, 65% of police departments also use Glocks. Do you "ask them for comment" in the uncountable instances that they are used to hold a violent criminal at bay or to save a life? Of course not! More to come on the gun issue.
Then we have the political finger-pointing: it's the tea party's fault, it's the liberals' fault, it's Sarah Palin's fault. Much as I can't stand Palin, her little online map has nothing to do with shit. Want to know who's fault it really is? Are you ready for it?
JARED LEE LOUGHNER.
And since I'm offering a two-for-one special on common sense today, I'm even going to tell you why he did it. It might seem surprising, but it had nothing to do with Glocks, political discourse, teabaggers, or even morons from Alaska:
IT'S BECAUSE HE'S A GODDAMN NUT.
Wasn't that easy? Stop being freaking fools, people. Focus. I realize that there is always this compulsion by rational people to understand the irrational and the monstrous. We struggle to understand the "why?". It happened with Manson, it happened with Dahmer, it happened with the Columbine shooters, it happened with Jim Jones and countless others. Unfortunately, there is no rational "why" with lunatics. It's because they are, well, fucking lunatics.
On a brighter note, I'm very pleased to read this morning that Rep. Gifford is making great strides in her recovery. This is truly wonderful news.
posted by Soulend at 2:57 AM
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