Opinion: 6 Unexpected Arizona Shooting Commentaries

As night follows day, the terrible tragedy in Arizona that involved the near fatal shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., unleashed a flood of partisan attacks.

Many on the left quickly tried to use the Tucson massacre -- which left six dead -- as an opportunity to attack heated political rhetoric on the right.

Those on the right countered that no connection had been made between conservative talk and the actions of the accused shooter, Jared Loughner, adding that the left has hardly been blameless when it comes to violent political imagery. (Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin offered an extensive catalog of left-wing vitriol.)

But the rampage also prompted a few writers to do something unexpected and offer thoughtful commentaries that don't fit so neatly into ideological boxes.

Here's a sampling:

In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric

Jack Shafer, editor of left-of-center Washington Post-owned site Slate.com, took issue with calls to tone down the rhetoric:

"Any call to cool 'inflammatory' speech is a call to police all speech, and I can't think of anybody in government, politics, business or the press that I would trust with that power. ...

"Our spirited political discourse, complete with name-calling, vilification -- and, yes, violent imagery -- is a good thing. Better that angry people unload their fury in public than let it fester and turn septic in private. The wicked direction the American debate often takes is not a sign of danger but of freedom. And I'll punch out the lights of anybody who tries to take it away from me." Click here to read the whole thing.


The Arizona Shooting Is Not a Product of Right-Wing Rage

Jonathan Chait of the liberal magazine The New Republic dismissed the connection between right-wing rhetoric and the shootings.

"I can see why those concerned about the rise of right-wing hysteria would want to use Loughner as a cautionary tale -- even if he wasn't a product of right-wing rage, they may be thinking, he is an example of what right-wing rage could lead to. Yet they fail to understand that this will appear to conservatives as an attempt to use the emotion of the moment to stigmatize them. The mania of Sarah Palin and the tea party must be dealt with on their own terms." Click here to read the whole thing.

Can We Tone Down the Political Rhetoric?

Former Bush speechwriter David Frum, meanwhile, chastised those on the right for their overheated political rhetoric.

"Conservatives have been quick to repudiate -- to brand as offensive and disgusting -- any suggestion that the Tucson shooting was somehow inspired by the extreme anti-Obama political rhetoric of the past two years.

"In this, conservatives have the facts on their side. ... Yet as we acknowledge that extremist rhetoric did not incite this crime, it should also be acknowledged that the rhetoric has been extreme, and potentially dangerously so. ...

"This crime should summon us to a quiet collective resolution to cease this kind of talk and to cease to indulge those who engage in it." Click here to read the whole thing.

No Blood on Conservatives' Hands ... But Gun-Reveling Rhetoric Is Troubling

Conservative writer and AOL News Opinion page contributor Bob Maistros, meanwhile, focused on the gun issue:

"Shouldn't conservatives be at least mildly troubled that a nutcase like Jared Loughner was able to get his hands on a 9-millimeter handgun with an extended clip that holds 30 rounds and enabled him to [allegedly] mow down 18 innocent people before anyone could blink? ...

"No, we conservative commentators don't have Congresswoman Giffords' blood on our hands. But I also personally have never felt that being a conservative means jumping with joy knowing that every home can boast its own semi-automatic assault rifle in the pantry next to the Quaker Oats, or jollying up our communications with pro-gun revelry.

"If that emotion somehow weakens my proudly held Neanderthal rating in the eyes of some of my peers on the right, so be it." Click here to read the whole thing.


Arizona Shootings: We Need to Stop Talking About Politics as War

Meanwhile, Politics Daily senior correspondent Jill Lawrence took the opportunity to look in the mirror:

"I would hope that if nothing else, this tragedy will remind us of the old Washington adage cited by Speaker John Boehner in his first speech -- that we can disagree without being disagreeable. At Politics Daily, we aspire to the 'civilogue,' Jeffrey Weiss' brilliant coinage for civilized dialogue among citizens.

"Personally, I think I'll go further and try to avoid all war imagery in future writings. It became all too real on Saturday." Click here to read the whole thing.

Should We Blame Sarah Palin for Gabrielle Giffords' Shooting?

And, finally, the Daily Beast's media columnist Howard Kurtz makes a worthwhile, if perhaps foolhardy, plea:

"This isn't about a nearly year-old Sarah Palin map; it's about a lone nutjob who doesn't value human life. It would be nice if we briefly put aside partisan differences and came together with sympathy and support for Gabby Giffords and the other victims, rather than opening rhetorical fire ourselves." Click here to read the whole thing.