Names Don’t Kill People

In the wake of the shootings in Arizona that critically injured Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed a number of others: Move On sent out an e-mail petition that says the following: “I call for an end to all overt or implied appeals to violence in American politics. We must debate, not hate.”

The e-mail adds,

“But in the wake of this disaster one thing is clear: We must put an end to the rhetoric of violence and hate that has exploded in America over the past two years.” (Bold type is on the letter.)

“That’s why we’re launching a petition calling on every member of Congress, as well as the major TV and cable news networks, to put an end to the hateful rhetoric and all overt or implied appeals to violence.”

From what I can see, the suspect in the shootings mentioned was mentally ill, and to say that the puerile name-calling that we see among people arguing politics in the media caused him to kill/maim people is quite a stretch of the imagination.

To the people at Move On, I posit this: Since you feel it necessary to tell the media it should curtail its message of “hate” (the definition of which can be quite capricious) would you also have the courage to be consistent and criticize Gangsta Rap “artists” whose form of expression often advocates gang life, violence, and the degradation of women? Or is criticizing the vulgarity of the entertainment industry too politically incorrect?