January 14, 2011
By E.W. Jackson Sr.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, an elected leader entrusted with preserving the rights of the innocent regardless of party affiliation, has made it clear he is unable to carry out his duties in an unbiased manner. Nor is this the first time he has shown himself unable to set politics aside in the performance of his duty. When Arizona passed the bill dealing with illegal immigration, he refused to enforce the law.
By E.W. Jackson Sr.
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, an elected leader entrusted with preserving the rights of the innocent regardless of party affiliation, has made it clear he is unable to carry out his duties in an unbiased manner. Nor is this the first time he has shown himself unable to set politics aside in the performance of his duty. When Arizona passed the bill dealing with illegal immigration, he refused to enforce the law.
Now he has claimed that the vitriol of political discourse from conservatives on radio and television and from the Tea Party led to nineteen people being shot and six of them murdered. He called his own home state of Arizona a "Mecca of bigotry and hatred." Other Democrats are echoing the slander, claiming that the Tea Party, Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and all conservatives are responsible for the deaths of our fellow Americans in Tucson.
Dupnik should apologize and resign for his incendiary and biased comments. Given the spotlight, he could not bring himself to behave like a professional law enforcement officer and stick with the facts. He used his fifteen minutes of fame to lash out at political opponents by calling them bigots, racists, and inciters of violence, lumping in the entire state of Arizona. He failed to acknowledge that the only violence at a Tea Party event was perpetrated by Democrat Teamster thugs against a black Tea Party activist. As a black American, I think those who throw around the labels of "bigot," "racist," and "hater" are guilty of the very thing of which they accuse others, and they do our country a great disservice.
Dupnik and those on the left have used this as an opportunity to smear law-abiding citizens across the country while overlooking the calling cards of a disturbed man. It is clear that Jared Loughner, in his demented condition, rejected God and all moral absolutes. There was the discovery of his backyard shrine -- containing a skull with burnt oranges -- and reports that his favorite books included The Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf. This is all anti-Christian behavior. Should we blame liberals and the ACLU for creating an atmosphere of hostility to Christianity, Judeo-Christian, values and the God of the Bible?
If there is a lesson to be learned from this mass murder, it is that we must stop romanticizing and minimizing the risks of mental illness. We need to get help for people who are a danger to themselves and others, not shut down vigorous political discourse in our country. Liberals can make the process of debate much less bitter by sticking to the issues rather than calling people names. A good start would be for Democrats to ask Sheriff Dupnik to resign and go home to take a long look in the mirror. Then maybe his Democrat colleagues will do the same.
My prayers go out to the families and friends of Federal Judge John Roll, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and all those involved in the senseless shooting at her event. There is no place in our society for violent attacks of any kind, especially against those who selflessly choose to serve in public office. Our nation prides itself on civility. May God bring strength to them and their families, and to our entire nation.
God bless the heroic Americans who intervened in this tragic event. No one stopped to ask, "Are you conservative, liberal, heterosexual, homosexual, black, or white?" Americans stepped in and helped each other. That is who we are. The actions of one deranged individual should not be exploited to advance the liberals' political obsession with silencing their opponents.
We should view the aftermath of this horrific event as another demonstration of the greatness of our country. Real Americans do not ask how a crisis can be used for political gain. We act in unity and common concern for each other without regard to race, gender, or politics. We respond to crisis by rising to the occasion, not lowering ourselves to using innocent victims as pawns in a political game. The attack on conservatives and the Tea Party, or the attempt to associate this unbalanced individual with them, is irresponsible and beneath contempt.
The double standard of the left is despicable and intolerable. While the entertainment industry makes billions selling violent movies, lyrics, and video games, liberals consistently argue that these expressions are not to blame for any crimes or self-destructive behavior. "Leave these 'artists' alone," they cry. However, because they think they can further their political agenda, they enthusiastically claim that an act by one deranged individual was caused by the "tone" of conservative rhetoric heard in the media. No reasonable person would conclude that free speech should be illegal because some deranged person might be incited to violence.
E.W. Jackson is President of STAND -- Staying True to America's National Destiny -- a national organization dedicated to restoring America's Judeo-Christian history and values and bringing people together across racial and cultural lines as one nation under God.
American Thinker
