Danziger: Tea Party “Ultimately to Blame” for Tucson Shootings (must read!)

Frank Strategies: The Blog ^ | Ed Frank

[roses of sharon]

This afternoon, I saw perhaps the most troubling, irresponsible, disconnected-from-reality editorial cartoon I’ve ever seen published in a major American newspaper.

It’s one thing to hastily jump to conclusions before the facts are known, but it’s another to stick to those hasty conclusions in the face of contradictory facts. Unfortunately, that’s what cartoonist Jeff Danziger is doing. In all my years in politics, I have never contacted an editorial cartoonist, but I was so appalled by this cartoon, that today I did. To my surprise, Danziger replied. Below is our full exchange: —— Mr Danziger –

I’ve worked professionally in political communications for more than 16 years now – for Members of Congress, a Cabinet Secretary, many political candidates, and a variety of non-profit organizations. As a result, I’ve obviously seen many editorial cartoons with which I’ve disagreed. But I have never seen one as shamefully disgusting as the one I just saw on WashingtonPost.com that is credited to you.

In the cartoon, a violent gunman is shown inside a teapot. I take this to mean that you’re perpetuating the view the millions of law-abiding citizens who have marched in tea party rallies are somehow complicit in the horrible shooting that occurred in Tucson on Saturday.

As you should know, at this point, there appears to be absolutely no connection between the tea party and the troubled young man who pulled the trigger. Not an ideological connection. Not one shred of evidence that he ever attended a tea party rally or visited tea party websites. Not even any evidence that he was enflamed or motivated by over-the-top political rhetoric from either side of the aisle. To the contrary, all the evidence that is currently available points to the complete opposite of all of these claims.

For you to willfully and purposely advance an incredibly explosive accusation for which there is not one shred of evidence does a disservice to you and to the American public. I generally agree with critics who say that over-the-top rhetoric — on both the left and right — should be dialed back, but when you and others imply or outright claim that millions of patriotic citizens are accessories to a gruesome mass murder, you’re only making matters much, much worse.

Sincerely, -Ed Frank —– Dear Mr. Frank-

Thanks for your letter.

I disagree. In a larger sense there is a link between anti-government rhetoric and the actions of this obviously deranged man. He is not “troubled”, he is crazed. But he knows that the larger enemy is the “government”, even though I suspect he has no idea, other than the police, what the government is. So in my experience, there is plenty of linkage, the linkage of a constant steady pressure, constant yammering on right wing radio, and constant political advertising to strike at the government, linking to a weak and distracted mind, inured to the real cost of violence by video games and super-violent films. And to this the easy availability of Glocks in a state like Arizona, and the result is more than predictable. Only willful political opportunism could blind anmyone to it. This same connection drove Timothy McVeigh and others. This won’t, I regret to say, be the last incident, not as long as the self-hatred in this country goes unanswered.

The drawing, which was designed to go with an article rather than stand by itself, is not shameful nor disgusting. It is designed like all oped art to be provocative and interpretative. It shows a point of view which relates the hyperbole of the tea party people to the actions of a disturbed mentality. The disgusting part is the lack of inclination to blame the people untimately responsible. They are again being given a pass for the viciousness they have engendered, at least in part.

I would guess that your experience is on one political side rather than the other. I am on neither. I want all this goddam noise and manufactured strife to stop. I want people to work toward a better country. I think I have earned the right to insist on it. I am not a Democrat nor a Republican, neither left nor right. I was drafted and served in Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star and an Air Medal and received a field commission. That probably means less to me than to others, but I don’t have to apologize to anyone for my views. This may not equate to working in political communications as you have done, but it counts for something.

Nevertheless, I appreciate your writing and will bear your remarks in mind in future.

All best wishes,

Jeff Danziger —- Mr. Danziger –

I appreciate your service to our nation, and you’re definitely entitled to your opinion, but I ask you to provide one piece of actual evidence for this statement:

“In a larger sense there is a link between anti-government rhetoric and the actions of this obviously deranged man.”

To my knowledge, none exists. The fact that tea-party activists generally support smaller government does not create a “link” between them and “crazed” individuals who may be generally anti-government or anti-establishment. Everything I’ve seen thus far suggests that there’s not much separating this gunman from the emotionally disturbed killers at Virginia Tech and Columbine, other than the establishment symbols that they ultimately targeted – schools vs. Congress.

Furthermore, I have to take issue with your comparison to Oklahoma City. In that case, there was actual evidence that Tim McVeigh’s horrible and unforgivable action was in direct response to the Waco raid and other DOJ actions of the time. To date, none of the evidence coming out of Tucson indicates that the shooter acted in response to any specific governmental action or political statement whatsoever – including anything coming out of the tea party.

Finally, I must take issue with your statement that there is a “lack of inclination to blame the people ultimately responsible.” At this point, the only person responsible for this action is the guy who pulled the trigger.

If it’s ok with you, I’d like to publish our exchange on my blog. In any case, thanks for your reply. I strongly disagree with your conclusions, but I do appreciate your time.

-Ed

UPDATE: 10:00 pm EST:

Ed. We are not in court. I have been watching the development of this combination of loons and opportunists since it started. The Tea Party, the very name is ridiculous. Crazed fat people tortured by their lack of success in life, following the absolute worst of our politicians. Palin, Angel, Quayle’s rotten kid. These people are your choice for anything? The whole thing is based on unreality. Don’t you understand? And Mcveigh was reading that crazy shit from the enbd times or whagtever it is called.

In the end the government has GOT to work. We are in competition with the world. Car companies don’t compete. nation now compete. And these asses want to go back to the 1700′s. I’ve written enough. The whole thing is probably unstoppable except with another dumb war. That’s what usually happens. You can have it.

[Irenic]

Can we add this one?

“I’m able to make the distinction with no pangs of hypocrisy even though I get happy every time one of you faux-macho shitheads accidentally shoots another one of you in the face.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-sorkin/sarah-palin-killing-animals_b_793600.html

There is also another where somebody calls on a duel or something between Palin and? Darn! wish I could recall that one clearly.

It was about her show, hunting and they said she couldn’t shoot well, or wtfever. They did call on someone to shoot her/ a duel or some such.

Cripes, I should have bookmarked or saved.

[Hypo2]

bookmark

[John Valentine]

It appears to me that the only difference between Danziger and Loughner is that Loughner’s mental disease had progressed more quickly than Danziger’s. Give him time though; he’s on the path.

[realcleanguy]

"Ed. We are not in court. I have been watching the development of this combination of loons and opportunists since it started. The Tea Party, the very name is ridiculous. Crazed fat people tortured by their lack of success in life, following the absolute worst of our politicians. Palin, Angel, Quayle’s rotten kid. These people are your choice for anything? The whole thing is based on unreality. Don’t you understand? And Mcveigh was reading that crazy shit from the enbd times or whagtever it is called. In the end the government has GOT to work. We are in competition with the world. Car companies don’t compete. nation now compete. And these asses want to go back to the 1700′s. I’ve written enough. The whole thing is probably unstoppable except with another dumb war. That’s what usually happens. You can have it." I can't believe this person actually replied like this. This person has to be either dumbest person on the face of the planet. or just shamefully ignorant. It is evident that he is the reason for the shooting, not Palin. It's people like that who fuel the hate and the fighting. They are so arrogant and self centered that they lost sight of reality. It is the left that wants us back in the stone age with socalled green technology (No lights, no cars and no trucking for produce and goods) I wish these "left Wingers" would come on up to the 21st Century. It would make life so much easier

[John Valentine]

From the Miami Herald;

“TUCSON, Ariz. — At an event roughly three years ago, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords took a question from Jared Loughner, the man accused of trying to assassinate her and killing six other people. According to two of his high school friends the question was essentially this: “What is government if words have no meaning?”
“Loughner was angry about her response - she read the question and didn’t have much to say.
“He was like ... ‘What do you think of these people who are working for the government and they can’t describe what they do?’” one friend told The Associated Press on Sunday. “He did not like government officials, how they spoke. Like they were just trying to cover up some conspiracy.”
“Both friends spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they wanted to avoid the publicity surrounding the case. To them, the question was classic Jared: confrontational, nonsensical and obsessed with how words create reality.
“The friends’ comments paint a picture bolstered by other former classmates and Loughner’s own Internet postings: that of a social outcast with nihilistic, almost indecipherable beliefs steeped in mistrust and paranoia.”

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/09/2007904/sheriff-says-gunman-acted-alone.html#ixzz1AiDBtv8y

In my opinion, all this points to the likely immediate cause of this madman’s rampage as the deconstructionist thinking that is all the rage on campuses today. This is a quintessential leftist philosophy and gestalt. It is also essential lunatic at its core. It should not be surprising that it has wound up making at least one person certifiable.

It has made millions into loons, at the minimum.

[TigersEye]

Danziger is nuttier than Loughner.

[TLEIBY308]

I have predicted a civil war of some sort since the late 70s.

[Straight Vermonter]

I would guess that your experience is on one political side rather than the other. I am on neither.

This is a blatant lie. I just took a quick tour of Danzingers cartoons. He is a lefty who HATES anyone who opposes big government.

[castlegreyskull]

“I guess by the time he wrote this his meds were wearing off. (And does anyone see a familiar, disjointed and rambling style similar to the nutball shooter’s writing?)”

I think his meds were wearing off, because his grammar errors, typos and misspellings were excessive. You can also tell he was defensive and angry. He started getting there by bringing up his military acheivements for no aparent reason. Which would also show that is logic was becoming completely unhinged.

[castlegreyskull]

Someone should inform this “impartial” journalist that there was no car companies in the 1700s.

[alnick]

The Tea Party, the very name is ridiculous. Crazed fat people tortured by their lack of success in life, following the absolute worst of our politicians. Palin, Angel, Quayle’s rotten kid. These people are your choice for anything? The whole thing is based on unreality. Don’t you understand?

Perfect example of hateful rhetoric. Now are we going to have to blame Danzinger if some madman goes after a right winger?

[dalereed]

You pimp this as a must read article and it’s nothing but a stinking blog!!!

[monocle]

Journalists and cartoonists attack and blame conservatives for all the ills befalling our country before even the barest of facts are established. On the other hand, if events appear to have terrorist origins the media jumps the gun in declaring it is not a terrorist attack or if it clearly a muslim terrorist attack the media fall over each others to say it is only a miniscule of muslims that are radical.

[Senator John Blutarski]

I like your idea, but don’t expect much back from Mr Danziger. My impression is that his thinking is about as deep as the piece of paper he draws on.

[domeika]

Function CauseOfWordsProblems(Problem as String) as String
Dim Cause(3) as String
Dim CauseNum as long

‘Note: Parameter ‘Problem’ is Irrelevant
Try
 Cause(0)=”Bush”
 Cause(1)=”The Joos”
 Cause(2)=”Tea Party”
 Cause(3)=”Republicans”
 CauseNum = Rnd * 3
 CauseOfWorldsProblems = Cause(CauseNum)

 Return CauseOfWorldsProblems

Catch ex as Exception

 Server.ClearError

 Return "Bush's Fault"

End Try
End Function

You forgot to include a Try/Catch block to ensure that upon any error Bush is properly blamed :-D

[dsrtsage]

“You forgot to include a Try/Catch block to ensure that upon any error Bush is properly blamed :-D”

I am greatly humbled!!!!!!!!

[abigailsmybaby]

Ask to explain the assertion that violent video games, violent rap music and violent movies have absolutely no influence whatsoever on the “unstable” but political opinion does.

[elcid1970]

“Well he at least served in Vietnam”

First, THIS Vietnam vet would like to see his DD 214. Second, anyone I mean ANYONE who unasked brings his military record into the argument is announcing that his views are unassailable and if you didn’t serve you are suppposed to immediately shut up!

I would also like to ask him if he used illegal drugs in Vietnam and does he now do so. BTW, at age 62 I still submit to urinalysis as a reservist, just like I did forty years ago in Vietnam.

Really despise those who try to win an argument by waving medals in someone’s face.

[PreciousLiberty]

“In the end the government has GOT to work. We are in competition with the world. Car companies don’t compete. nation now compete.”

Let’s analyze this little bit of brilliance here...

The very reason we’re not competitive is government regulation at the behest of (mainly) the environut movement.

The best thing that could happen to restore competitiveness would be less government regulation and taxation. Sadly, very few have escaped the brainwashing as this “centrist” (LOL) cartoonist vividly illustrates... (pun intended)

His total lack of understanding regarding the Tea Party is just icing on the cake!

[central_va]

LibSpeak:

I would guess that your experience is on one political side rather than the other. I am on neither. I want all this goddam noise and manufactured strife to stop. I want people to work toward a better country. I think I have earned the right to insist on it.

LibSpeak translated:

If you disagree that government and socialism is the natural progression of civilization then you are hateful, bigoted and a religious zealot. To be anti-big government(communist) is tantamount to being a Nazi. You are a throw back to the dark ages of capitalism. You must be silenced because you are a dangerous impediment to "progress". We will even politicize the death of a 9 year girl to slander your pathetic Neolithic asses.