Semi-Daily Scribbles

On a peaceful Sunday afternoon, made all the more serene by steadily falling snow outside my window, I can't help but be sickened and angry over the massacre in Tucson yesterday. Purveyors of hate are responsible for this national tragedy. Provocative words that come out of the mouths of talking heads and Senators, evoking hostility and inciting violence, were bound to be taken as gospel by someone of unsound mind. I will never understand the politics of fear and exclusion that are cornerstones of the Far Right. Let this be a lesson, one taught to us with the blood of the innocent, that reason and empathy must rule the day. Repudiate hate and ignorance in all its forms: from the folksy Soccer Mom from Alaska who's "just like you and me," to the bloated talk show host that implores his listeners to target those not like them. We all need to think and speak responsibly.