Within hours of the shootings in Tucson last weekend, liberal legislators and members of the media were already assessing blame. “The conservatives drove him to do it!” That was the claim. Of course, there’s nothing to support this accusation, but that’s what make an accusation so convenient: anyone can do it. Fast forward one week, and we now have one of the victims of the shooting yelling, “You’re dead,” to a tea party activist. Were his actions the result of “rhetoric” and “irresponsible” actions on the part of the liberal media? Read on and judge for yourself…
Just one week after the shootings, while some of the victims are still recovering and others have just been buried, ABC News put together a program with host Christiane Amanpour called “After the Tragedy: An American Conversation Continued.” Some may question the wisdom of airing such a program so soon after the tragedy. I am one of those people. ABC News saw fit to bring together tea party activists and a left wing nut just days after a disturbed individual opened fire on a crowd and the left began their string of accusations. Shouldn’t we all just calm down for a while? Shouldn’t the focus be on prayers for the victims?
As Fox News reports, during the taping of the ABC News program, Amanpour shifted the focus to the political side of things, asking about gun control. At that time, Tucson Tea Party co-founder Trent Humphries said, “I think there is a time for this debate. But for what we saw and felt right now, I’m not sure that applause and things going on are appropriate right now until we’ve had actually — maybe had the funerals finished for the people” who died.”
Unhappy with that remark, James Eric Fuller took a picture of Humphries and said, “You’re dead.”
The 63-year-old Fuller was arrested Saturday on disorderly conduct and threat charges and taken for a psychiatric exam.
Authorities say he began ranting at the end of ABC News’ forum, at one point calling the audience “whores.” The show, videotaped at St. Odilia’s Catholic Church in Tucson, featured victims, witnesses, emergency responders and some of those hailed as heroes after the Jan. 8 shooting in which six people were killed and 14 injured.
Fuller was one of the victims of the shooting, saying “he felt a bullet that hit his knee but didn’t know he had also been struck in the back.” But who is he? According to New York Magazine, after the shooting, Fuller told reporters, “It looks like Palin, Beck, Sharron Angle and the rest got their first target.” On the Democracy Now radio show, Fuller said:
“How many other people? How many other demented people are out there? It looks like Palin, Beck, Sharron Angle and the rest got their first target. Their wish for Second Amendment activism has been fulfilled — senseless hatred leading to murder, lunatic fringe anarchism, subscribed to by John Boehner, mainstream rebels with vengeance for all, even nine-year-old girls.”
How many others are out there? Considering the police took Fuller away for a psychiatric evaluation, I’d say at least one more.
Why was this guy even in the audience. Does any producer or news executive think that anything productive would come out of his mouth? He has a history of saying EXACTLY the things that the left has been criticized for saying this past week, and yet this unstable man was invited on the program. Was he invited to take part in intelligent debate?
If the media are so concerned about rhetoric and actions, don’t you think it would have been wise to not invite this guy? Or how about postponing such a program until people have had time to grieve and mourn? Perhaps it was all about the ratings. Perhaps someone who is on record blaming Sarah Palin and others for violence was invited just for the possibility of adding to the “excitement.” I’d call this irresponsible journalism, but then I’d have to use the word journalism.
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