This page was last updated on February 9, 2011.
‘You, too’ charge can't absolve right; Martin Schulte, Jr.; Beaver County Times; January 26, 2011. An editor’s note asserts “The writer is a former resident of Midland.”
Mr. Schulte wrote at least one previous letter (“A ‘remarkably backward’ letter,” 11/28/10) I did not critique.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“I read with interest the right-wing counterattacks in regard to the shootings in Tucson.”
[RWC] At least Mr. Schulte concedes – though probably by mistake – the left initially attacked the right, resulting in “right-wing counterattacks.”
I guess Mr. Schulte didn’t get the memo that nobody was buying the BS that conservative “violent rhetoric” had anything to do with the Tucson shootings. If Mr. Schulte wants to go down the “blame it on the right” road, consider Mein Kampf and The Communist Manifesto were among the shooter’s favorite books and at least one friend wrote “As I knew him he was left wing, quite liberal.”
The shooter is mentally disturbed (fixated on Rep. Giffords for years) and that’s the reason for the attack. Nothing else.
“The writers seem to believe that the charge of ‘you, too!’ will absolve their conservative idols.
“If these ideas are wrong - if this violent rhetoric is wrong - then Sarah Palin’s crosshair map is wrong. I have also seen the Democratic bulls-eye map, which targets states and not people. Assuming for the sake of argument that the bulls-eye map is bad, this does not make Palin’s crosshair map good.”
[RWC] In case you missed it, Mr. Schulte claims Democrat bulls-eye maps are OK but the Palin crosshair map is bad.
“It is clear that Palin knows this. The website and its crosshair map were summarily expunged. Observe the spin involving ‘surveyor’s symbols.’”
[RWC] The map is gone, but the website is still there.
“Pay no attention to the guilty conscience behind the stringent denials.
“Of course, even the most straightforward connections between right-wing rhetoric and violence are not meant to blame the likes of Glenn Beck for inciting violence.”
[RWC] What are those “most straightforward connections between right-wing rhetoric and violence?” Mr. Schulte doesn’t say.
“It is sad to consider that the American veneration of freedom, including freedom from compulsory mental health care, apparently, may result in psychotics falling through the cracks of our social safety net.”
[RWC] I’m confused. Wasn’t Mr. Schulte telling us the shooting was the result of “right-wing rhetoric.” If so, why is Mr. Schulte now writing about “mental health care” and “psychotics?”
“It’s worse to know that something will almost inevitably set them off, whether it is Beck, Palin or someone else.
“But I question why anyone would want to be that trigger.”
[RWC] Perhaps Mr. Schulte can tell us what is safe to say that won’t set off the nuts among us. FYI, there’s no evidence the shooter ever listened to folks like Mr. Beck, Mrs. Palin, et cetera. In fact, I recall a friend of the shooter saying he didn’t listen to talk radio, et cetera.
Here’s the bottom line. All this hooey that mythical “right-wing rhetoric” foments violence is simply an attempt at censorship. You’ll note Mr. Schulte didn’t seem to mind when Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) speaking on the House floor last week compared Republicans to the Nazis.
Finally, I would like to go on the record saying I have no evidence Mr. Schulte had any influence on the shooter.
© 2004-2011 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.