Leftists Exploit Tucson Shooting

Published January 14, 2011 in the Lynchburg ledger

The shooting last Saturday in Tucson, Arizona, which took the lives of six innocent people and critically wounded 14 others, including Democrat Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords from Arizona’s 8^th Congressional District, even touched us here in the Lynchburg area.

Among those who were killed was Dorwan Stoddard, age 73.  Mr. Stoddard was the father of Dale Stoddard of Lynchburg.  Dale and his wife Gail are members of Thomas Terrace Baptist Church, where I am also a member.  Mavanell (“Mavy”) Stoddard, Dale’s mother was one of those wounded.  She was shot in the leg and is expected to recover.

Mr Stoddard was a member of the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ where he frequently volunteered.  His pastor, Mike Nowak described him as “a terrific guy, a jack-of-all trade.”  What I am told is that the couple was shopping and were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Also killed was 9 year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was born on the same day the Islamic terrorists attacked on 9-11-2001.  It is particularly tragic when a child this young is cut down.  I am told that the death of a child is one of the most painful things one can endure.

The shooter is Jared Lee Loughner, age 22.  It would appear that Loughner had been planning his rampage for weeks before it occurred.  He purchased a 9mm Glock handgun in November, passing the standard FBI background check.  In the effort to keep fire arms out of the hands of criminals, felons and the mentally disturbed, just about all 2^nd Amendment supporters favor conducting a background check for those purchasing firearms.

We can gain some insight into Loughtner’s thought process by his YouTube page, which contains a series of text messages, best described as a rambling rant.  In it, he describes his favorite activity is “conscience dreaming,” which he claims is “the greatest inspiration for my political business information.” 

In what follows he complains about the currency and talks about a new currency.  He then writes about being literate in English grammar.  He stated that “the majority of the people, who reside in District 8 are illiterate- hilarious.”  He then goes on to write about “mind control and brainwashing methods.”

His rant ends with “In conclusion, my ambition - is for informing literate dreamers about a new currency, in a few days you will know I am conscience dreaming! Thank you.”

According to his YouTube profile, he attended “Thornydale elementary,Tortolita Middle School, Mountain View Highschool, Northwest Aztec Middle College, and Pima Community College.”  His favorite books include “The Communist Manifest and Mein Kampf.”

We have also learned some who know him describe his as a left-wing pothead.  He scared classmates and teachers alike when he attended Pima Community College.  The police had to be called on account of his behavior on five separate occasions.  However, he never quite made it into the police records and had no criminal record.

You will recall the Virginia Tech shooter, Seung-Hui Cho, also passed the FBI background check.  His mental instability was never made part of his record.

The media was quick to try to associate him with the tea party movement, Sarah Palin and talk radio but with The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf on his reading list, they will not be able to make that stick.  Rather, it would appear his is a left-wing individual who likely believes that Giffords (a blue-dog Democrat) was not liberal enough.

Loughner may be deranged, but he is certainly sane.  Documents found at his home indicated that he carefully planned the shooting he carried out.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, a Democrat who refused to enforce Arizona’s new immigration law, was one of the first to call for “toning down the rhetoric” of political discord.  There is nothing the left would like better than to shut up those who disagree with them.  Look for them to use this incident, which is nothing more than a tragic act of senseless violence by an obviously deranged individual, to try to take away more of our freedoms.

Dupnik was cheerfully greeted by the left-wing media and made all the rounds spewing his unfounded accusations.  The left complained about the “vitriol” coming from the right, where it the left which famous for hate-filled vitriol.  So soon they forget just how they attacked George Bush, Sarah Palin Christine O’Donnell and a number of other conservatives.

Left-wing pundits have also used this tragedy as is a shameless way to promote their liberal agenda.  They are already calling for more gun control and restrictions on free speech.

Prior to the shooting, the FCC has already begun to regulate the Internet, the most prevalent source of political information available today.  FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's implementation of so-called "net neutrality" regulations is a preview of what the Obama White House has in store for us now that Republicans have regained control of the House of Representatives.

The FCC will, for the first time, regulate the way Internet companies are allowed to do business in the same way that the agency regulates other technologies such as the telephone.

I have learned that in Washington, the title of a bill or regulation is likely to be just the opposite of what it says.  For example, ObamaCare was called “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” and will do neither.  Patients will be endangered, not protected, and health care will become even more unaffordable.  Because of the act, my costs have increased more than 20 percent this year.

Net neutrality will be anything but.

Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s former Chief of Staff once said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”  Look for the liberals to use this shooting as an excuse to deprive us from more of our freedoms.