Politically Charged Violence - Who's Responsible?

[Kobi]

This is another of those tricky situations for me and my thoughts are all over the place trying to write something coherent.

For me to say something violent occurred because of a political climate or political rhetoric seems self serving and self indulgent. This is a country based on diversity, free speech, and revolution. It is a country of innovations, many of which would not have come to fruition if diversity and differences in thinking were not allowed. It is a country based on differences of thought and beliefs which for the most part find ways to live in some degree of harmony.

It is also a country in flux and economic turmoil. Change, I think, is coming and the process may not be pleasant. We seem to need new definitions of who we are, where we are going, and how we are going to get there as a country.

I can't honesty say the rhetoric of Sarah Palin led this man to a shooting spree anymore than I can say Ghandi and his message of peace inspired someone to kill him.

It's not that simple or logical a process. People do weird things for bizarre reasons. We might feel more comfortable if we can attribute behavior to this or that so our world seems controllable. But, people are complex beings when they are well, they are more complex when they are not well.

I truly believe we are responsible for our own actions. And, as a society, we have become accustomed to looking for excuses for behavior so as to absolve ourselves of responsibility for things we do. I have a real hard time with blaming others for the choices we individually make.