Tragedy struck in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday morning at a political rally when six people were killed and 14 others were wounded. One of the wounded, Democrat Gabrielle Giffords  of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the intended target. She was shot in the head and is in critical condition. The alleged shooter, a twenty-two year old named Jared Loughner, was wrestled to the ground by three people at the event.
Immediately following the shooting, allegations began to fly. Sarah Palin had created a map early last year on her website. The map “targeted” congressional seats Palin believed could be taken in the coming midterm elections. Designating the so-called targets were crosshairs, much like a rifle’s scope. She followed the creation of the map with a tweet saying, “Don’t Retreat, Instead — RELOAD!”
One of the congressional seats Palin targeted was the 8th Congressional District of Arizona, which was that of Gabrielle Giffords.  
Sarah Palin and her staff used extremely poor judgment.
Following the news of the shooting, a Palin aide tried to justify the map, saying that, “We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights. It was simply crosshairs like you’d see on maps.”           
First of all, I’m no cartographer, but I’m not overtly familiar with maps containing crosshairs. Also, Palin’s tweet urging constituents to “RELOAD!” seems to be a pretty clear indication as to what she intended the map to demonstrate.
Finally, the map was taken down shortly after the shooting, presumably because whether or not Palin and her aides intended for the crosshairs to be gun sights, they understood that they resembled them.
Can a politician ever just come out and apologize when they have done something reprehensible instead of attempting to contort the issue? (No!)
Sarah Palin used poor judgment. One should never joke or promote violence in any way, especially regarding political issues that tend to be extremely inflammatory, precisely because of what happened on Saturday.  It may very well prove to be an irremovable smear on Palin and her Tea Party movement as a whole.
But politicians from both sides often use violent language to stir up their constituencies. It isn’t responsible, it isn’t mature, and it seems like everyone does it at some point. The only reason Palin is being attacked for this is because people were actually shot and frankly the sheer stupidity Palin showed by having crosshairs on a congressionally divided map deserves the harshest condemnation possible. But that map has been up on the Internet for a long time, and there was very little outrage (at least in the media) until Saturday’s events.
What it really comes down to is that while Palin made an enormous mistake, she played no more of a role in the tragedy on Saturday than J.D. Salinger played in the shooting of John Lennon or hip-hop artists play into the degradation of kids. Words and images can be interpreted differently by anyone. They are only what we as individuals make of them.
Jared Loughner was a lunatic who squeezed a trigger.
As we learn more about this deranged young man, fingers will be pointed every direction: at his parents, at his teachers, at his acquaintances, at whichever sales clerk sold him the 9 mm handgun. Reports are starting to come in, describing Loughner as a “loner” and “prone to occasional outbursts.” A teacher at the community college Loughner was attending found himself wondering, “Is he going to bring a weapon to class?”
Loughner had two minor run-ins with the law prior to his shooting rampage: possession of drug paraphernalia and a graffiti misdemeanor. But these are fairly minor. It was his recent forays onto the internet that are most disturbing.
Loughner posted on various websites, attacking the government’s authority and delving into fears of mind control. One YouTube video was particularly chaotic, urging viewers to “Read the United States of America’s Constitution to apprehend all of the current treasonous laws.”  
Classmates at Loughner’s community college recall him yelling about his fears of mind control in violent outbursts during class. A security guard was posted in the classroom after Loughner became threatening. Loughner was eventually suspended.
Suffice it to say Loughner was a very sick and disturbed individual. It is ultimately fruitless to try and place the blame anywhere but squarely on his shoulders because in the end it was Loughner who killed six and wounded 14 others. Yes, Palin’s map was morally reprehensible. Yes, I’m sure Loughner’s parents hold no small part in all of this. Yes, whoever sold the gun to Loughner needs their head examined. But in the end, after all is said and done, it was Jared Loughner who pointed the weapon and took the lives of six people, including a nine-year-old girl, and seriously injured 14 more. It takes a psychopath to commit such a horrible act. Jared Loughner fits the bill.
Jan. 8, 2011 is a day that will live in the minds of Americans for some time. Loughner will be tried and convicted. Arizona has the death penalty; I think it’ll use it.
And no one else in this instance, besides Loughner, deserves it.
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