Jared Loughner’s bullets are still doing damage. The immediately affected still feeling the grief and the nation as a whole is still struggling to understand and contextualize the horrific events of that day. The context heretofore has been disheartening at best.
Pundits and politicians spoon feed us this context: Political discourse is to blame. Fiery rhetoric from the left and the right rely heavily on images of war and destruction that Loughner embodied in Tucson. Or so they say. All of this “coverage” and “analysis” is a vain attempt to answer questions that are unanswerable. Why did they do this? Why did no one see the signs?
We ask questions like these when something horrific happens, and then we seem to move on as quickly as possible. Virginia Tech, Iowa University, Fort Hood and Columbine present sobering examples in which we asked the same questions. Each time, we sit back and wonder why.
The truth is, there are no answers. Explaining Loughner’s actions in Tucson is far more convenient than enlightening. Palin’s claim, however, that her website was a collection of “surveyor’s symbols” is as disgusting as the idea of “targeting” congressional candidates. It is difficult to believe that someone as pro-Second Amendment as she would have meant anything other than a gun sight. But, to suggest that there is a direct cause and effect between Palin’s site and Loughner’s actions is irrelevant.
Instead, what is relevant is what this event says about our society. Naturally, the questions of “why” will persist. But, we must take a serious look at how we interact with each other on a societal level. Because politics and the media are merely reflections of society – a reflection of us and a reflection of our conversations – society has the power to dictate the conversation.
In order for society to take charge, though, we have to be willing to ask tough, discomforting questions. We must ask, “Is Jared Loughner a reflection of our current society?” Think about your answer. Then think about the other side. Or you can move on and wait for the next mind-numbing event. And that may cause more damage than bullets.
