Democratic Congresswoman Among 12 Shot in Arizona

The media isn't the Borg. People have different ideas and opinions.

It's not inconceivable that one person could write one thing and another could write the opposite thing.

 

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Civil discourse is boring and doesn't draw viewers, readers, or page hits.

And uncivil discourse not only does draw all of those things, it's also much easier to report on. And it gives you a chance to wag your finger.

The media lives in a glass house on this one.

 

I know everybody grieves differently, but I'd have preferred the crowd to be a tad more somber last night.

That said, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who found himself in a dusty room when Obama began telling Green's story.

 

It's also why politicians will eventually get back to flinging poo at each other. In an election, it's much easier to get people to the polls if they are against something or someone, rather than if they are for something or someone -- especially if you can reasonably tailor your message to how that someone or something confirms people's worst underlying fears. (That's why Willie Horton worked for George H.W. Bush, and why "Taliban Dan" didn't for Alan Grayson.) If it didn't work, people wouldn't keep doing it.

 

Having said that, Sarah Palin is still toast over her response. To paraphrase the book of Ecclesiastes, Pete Seeger and the Byrds, there is a time to poo-fling, and a time to keep it in your hand. Palin's speech confirmed the worst fears of the non-true believers: that in a moment of crisis, she would not be able to get her act together.

 

BTW, here are the 51 pages of police reports from previous encounters with Loughner.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_17079366

 

If anyone's interested, Gabrielle Giffords can now move both eyes, both arms and both legs. Things are looking very good.

 

Who?

 

I didn't seen a report from any police department other than the one at Pima Community College.

 

I'm no legal expert, but I don't see anything that strikes me as wildly inappropriate conduct on the part of the officers or the school.

However, I do know the feeling of nervousness leaving the classroom building after you've had a confrontation with a student over a grade. When I taught journalism at Columbia College Chicago, I had one student was getting a lousy grade -- mostly because he never showed up, which is gradable at Columbia -- and he got very upset at me and said that his dad had told him he would stop paying for college if the kid's grades didn't improve. He was angry at me, to the point that I watched my step going onto the elevator, getting off, and on my way out and through the door of the building. I suspect anyone who has taught a class has had that feeling. Doesn't mean the kid is going to end up doing what Loughner did, though.

 

5-10, 150, and everyone was afraid of this guy.

 

I see what you did there.