I was responding to Cisco’s view that creation of a “hit list,” from which one person then gets shot, would likely lead to an investigation. I don’t know of Kos being investigated, nor do I think he should be.
My other earlier links showed the Democratic maps with bullseyes over specific districts, and references to “targeted Republicans.”
As for reloads and rifle scopes, I also linked Obama’s remark that “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.” Obviously he’s not advocating shooting anyone; this is just how politicians sometimes talk.
The distinctions here seem quite narrow to me, and ones that a murderous lunatic would be unlikely to draw.
No, I don’t accept that. Quite obviously: (a) large parts of “the right” don’t care about (in some cases, are opposed to) guns; (b) more importantly, the right, or the gun lobby, is not in any way “striving to arm” anyone. Seriously, when have you seen the NRA or anyone try to force or encourage someone (otherwise uninterested) to buy a gun? “Striving to make guns available to anyone who wants them?” That would be closer to reality. Which comes down to free will. Which, I know, a large swath of the left doesn’t get.
I don’t know if this has been addressed already but there are some lawyers who consider it their purpose in life to ensure that those accused of horrible crimes getlegal representation no matter how horrible the crime and even if they defendant is guilty as sin.
If this guy is in fact as crazy as everyone seems to think, maybe he needs to be put inan asylum instead of in a prison.
Yeah, don’t cry for that lawyer. There are two types who love these cases – True Believers, who can be kind of charming up to a point, and publicity hounds. Both are quite satisfied with their station in life.
Symbolic actions (how many prosecutions do you think have been brought under those laws?) taken by small towns, in reaction to gun bans elsewhere, are no more real to me than some loopy Calif. beach town enacting a nuclear freeze or whatever. It’s hardly any kind of real policy of “some on the right” as posited in the post I objected to and yours.
Everyone in this country, even the completely evil and the shithouse mouse batshit crazy, are entitled to legal representation - even when they are guilty as all hell. It’s the law.
And I’m saying you’re wrong. I’m saying that using words like ‘target’ and ‘bullseye’ is categorically different than putting up a map with rifle crosshairs over your opponent’s hometown. One is common language usage, one is unique.
That’s why Kos is not being investigated. Because what he did is different than what Palin did when she painted a rifle scope pointing at Gabrielle Giffords’ district.
And Palin is, as far as we know, not being investigated either.
But I fully agree with Cisco that if I, a random loudmouth, put up a map of Alaska with gun sights drawn on Palin’s town, I’d be talking to the FBI about it. If Palin got so much as a fender bender, I’d be in jail.
Obama was quoting a movie, “The Untouchables”, which is set in Chicago and deals with FBI agents investigating the Mob. The line is spoken by an older agent explaining how hard the fight is going to get. It’s not a direct threat to anyone, unlike, say, putting out a graphic with a rifle scope pointing at Gifford’s hometown.
The ‘murderous lunatic’ was apparently together enough that he was able to legally purchase a firearm and ammo. Just sayin.
The distinctions are there. All the hand-waving, the “your side does it too!!”, the pretending that Palin’s rifle scope marks were surveyor’s marks or what have is just chickenshit.
Yeah, I get it. I’m a fan of those lawyers, just to be clear. I really am glad that Loughner is getting good representation, like the constitution says he should. I was just saying that it must be discouraging for a lawyer to keep getting losing hands, even if he thinks he’s doing something important.
As for putting him in an asylum … in general I have no problem with it, if it’s warranted. I’d prefer people with serious mental problems to get the health care they need rather than just throw them to rot in jail. But that’s a whole other can of worms given the way our justice system is set up.
Glad you quoted it. “Screw that. Now is the time to politicize the hell out of this situation.” This is exactly what we don’t need. An invitation to raise the heat of political discourse even higher than it is. Thanks.