I'm kind of obsessing over the shooting in Arizona.
I've been reading more about it.
Whether or not the murders were politically motivated.....
People from the Republican Party have said things to encourage violence. I'm reading the story in The Huffington Post, and it's extremely disturbing.
Sharron Angle, a Republican senate nominee said, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies. Second amendment refers to gun ownership.
Other things were said. I'm not going to list them all right now. If you're interested, click on the Huffington Post link.
I don't know.
Can people be blamed for violence if they suggested such violence? Would it be the same as blaming a horror movie or rock song for a murder?
Well, I think it's kind of different. And I DO think they shoulder some of the blame.
Let's say I write something on this blog. What we need is brave warriors to go out and kill you-know-who.
I might be saying this in jest, or at least figuratively. But what if someone takes it seriously and really wants to do me a favor?
Or what if I AM serious, and hope that someone commits murder for me? Wouldn't it be easy to then deny that I ever truly meant it?
I'm also wondering if I was wrong in my previous post regarding all of this. Does it go beyond differences in philosophies and policies? Does the right encourage more violence then the left?
Do you remember the Facebook group that tried to be funny by praying to God that he kills Obama? Even though it was said in jest, I found it disturbing. How could decent people pray for the death of a father of two young girls?
Is there stuff like that on the left as well? There probably is, but I haven't seen that much of it.
Okay. Well, I searched on Facebook for both Kill Bush and Kill Palin. There ARE groups with those types of names. The difference is...(as far as I can see) these groups have very few numbers; usually less than a hundred. The death-to-Obama group had over a million fans.
No matter the numbers, though. I think it's wrong.
I was thinking that there's levels to how people handle disagreement.
On the very top is voicing your disagreement in a polite way. You could say simply Well, that's fine you don't like onions on your pizza. I like them. I think they're delicious.
Under that would be attacking personal character because of the disagreement. You don't like onions on your pizza? What's wrong with you? Are you SICK? Any decent person would like onions. You're obviously a loser! Of course, this could be said between friends as a joke. No harm there.
The third level would be gathering followers to help you shame the guy who doesn't like onions. Maybe you start a Facebook group. Maybe you write a blog post. Maybe you bully him on the playground while other kids cheer you on.
The fourth level would be publicly wishing death or harm on the onion-refuser. If Joe doesn't learn to eat onions on his pizza, we will teach him a lesson. Perhaps we should poison the next onionless piece of pizza he sticks in his mouth.
There is another fourth level. We can call it fourth level B. This is where the murder has already taken place, and you show support for it. Well, yeah. It's sad he died. And yeah. It's sad that his young niece ate the pizza too, and is now dead. But you know. It's his fault. He should have eaten the damn onions. Causalities of war, you know.
In the lowest level, you take it upon yourself to commit the violent act.
Why in the world can't people accept disagreement? Why do they have to wish death on others? Why do they have to go out and kill others? And some people feel murder is so necessary, that they're willing to kill innocent children in the process? It's really sad.
You know what's scary.....
When there were death threats against Julian Assange, a part of me felt terrified. I felt sick inside. But then I told myself....oh, it's just people being dramatic. We probably don't need to worry. But after this event. I don't know.
Here we are making New Years resolutions. And maybe we should just hope to make it to 2012. Who knows when someone's going to kill us because we believe differently than they do. Or maybe we'll get caught in the crossfire.
Maybe I'm being overdramatic.
But you know what.
I'm just REALLY sick of all the crap.
Okay, but I'm being sick of all the crap without wishing physical harm on anyone. Okay? It IS possible to do that.
I've been reading more about it.
Whether or not the murders were politically motivated.....
People from the Republican Party have said things to encourage violence. I'm reading the story in The Huffington Post, and it's extremely disturbing.
Sharron Angle, a Republican senate nominee said, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies. Second amendment refers to gun ownership.
Other things were said. I'm not going to list them all right now. If you're interested, click on the Huffington Post link.
I don't know.
Can people be blamed for violence if they suggested such violence? Would it be the same as blaming a horror movie or rock song for a murder?
Well, I think it's kind of different. And I DO think they shoulder some of the blame.
Let's say I write something on this blog. What we need is brave warriors to go out and kill you-know-who.
I might be saying this in jest, or at least figuratively. But what if someone takes it seriously and really wants to do me a favor?
Or what if I AM serious, and hope that someone commits murder for me? Wouldn't it be easy to then deny that I ever truly meant it?
I'm also wondering if I was wrong in my previous post regarding all of this. Does it go beyond differences in philosophies and policies? Does the right encourage more violence then the left?
Do you remember the Facebook group that tried to be funny by praying to God that he kills Obama? Even though it was said in jest, I found it disturbing. How could decent people pray for the death of a father of two young girls?
Is there stuff like that on the left as well? There probably is, but I haven't seen that much of it.
Okay. Well, I searched on Facebook for both Kill Bush and Kill Palin. There ARE groups with those types of names. The difference is...(as far as I can see) these groups have very few numbers; usually less than a hundred. The death-to-Obama group had over a million fans.
No matter the numbers, though. I think it's wrong.
I was thinking that there's levels to how people handle disagreement.
On the very top is voicing your disagreement in a polite way. You could say simply Well, that's fine you don't like onions on your pizza. I like them. I think they're delicious.
Under that would be attacking personal character because of the disagreement. You don't like onions on your pizza? What's wrong with you? Are you SICK? Any decent person would like onions. You're obviously a loser! Of course, this could be said between friends as a joke. No harm there.
The third level would be gathering followers to help you shame the guy who doesn't like onions. Maybe you start a Facebook group. Maybe you write a blog post. Maybe you bully him on the playground while other kids cheer you on.
The fourth level would be publicly wishing death or harm on the onion-refuser. If Joe doesn't learn to eat onions on his pizza, we will teach him a lesson. Perhaps we should poison the next onionless piece of pizza he sticks in his mouth.
There is another fourth level. We can call it fourth level B. This is where the murder has already taken place, and you show support for it. Well, yeah. It's sad he died. And yeah. It's sad that his young niece ate the pizza too, and is now dead. But you know. It's his fault. He should have eaten the damn onions. Causalities of war, you know.
In the lowest level, you take it upon yourself to commit the violent act.
Why in the world can't people accept disagreement? Why do they have to wish death on others? Why do they have to go out and kill others? And some people feel murder is so necessary, that they're willing to kill innocent children in the process? It's really sad.
You know what's scary.....
When there were death threats against Julian Assange, a part of me felt terrified. I felt sick inside. But then I told myself....oh, it's just people being dramatic. We probably don't need to worry. But after this event. I don't know.
Here we are making New Years resolutions. And maybe we should just hope to make it to 2012. Who knows when someone's going to kill us because we believe differently than they do. Or maybe we'll get caught in the crossfire.
Maybe I'm being overdramatic.
But you know what.
I'm just REALLY sick of all the crap.
Okay, but I'm being sick of all the crap without wishing physical harm on anyone. Okay? It IS possible to do that.
