Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said it all:
"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," the sheriff said. "And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry."
Four days ago an armed man barricaded himself in an Arizona mall with hostages. And back in April Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into a law a bill allowing people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Oops.
But let’s look at the big picture. Southern Arizona’s largest employer is Raytheon Missile Systems, Arizona’s largest defense contractor.
Live by the gun, die by the gun. As without, so within. As in the macrocosm, so in the microcosm.
We spread violence around the world with our wars for oil, we spread violent rhetoric around the country on talk radio, we have leaders putting political rivals in crosshairs and candidates calling for “Second Amendment remedies.” Our children play violent video games and we watch acts of violence as entertaintment. We are a culture ruled by violence.
So don’t act so fucking surprised, America. This was entirely predictable.
More ...
