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Vitriol and bile have their consequences

For those living outside America, it has been hard to comprehend the bile, vitriol, sheer nastiness and downright lies peddled by some politicians and many so-called commentators, a la the Glenn Beck types on Fox News, or Rush Limbaugh on radio, directed at Obama and some politicians. Name-calling of Obama, and others, has also in the last years been a characteristic of American politics and the general populaces' attitude to elected leaders.

Now the consequences are in - with the tragic shooting of a Congresswoman. Toxic atmospheres lead to cause and effect. Stand up Sarah Palin for having bulls-eyes on the faces of certain politicians. Why have them there? What can that suggest, especially to the weak-minded, other than violence? And if they weren't designed to engender something bad, why has Palin now removed the images from her web site post the shooting?

The media is already full dissecting the shooting and possible causes. This piece on The Daily Beast provides a background portrait by one person who knows the Congresswoman.

"She talked about how ugly her last campaign was with ads that said, "Her husband won't even vote for her—why should we?" Those spots referred to the fact that Captain Kelly is active duty military assigned to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and as such has a legal address that is not in his wife’s district. Plus, he has children from a former marriage that requires his residency where they are. In recounting the ads, she seemed stung by the unfairness of the attack and its personal nature, considering the supposed reverence of her opponent for the military."

And then there is Keith Olbermann's blunt and very direct message to his fellow Americans - here.

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