I hope that's not where we're going, but, you know, if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies and saying my goodness what can we do to turn this country around? I'll tell you the first thing we need to do is take Harry Reid out.

- Sharron Angle, radio interview with Lars Larson (audio)

I first heard about the shooting in Arizona on Twitter. Initial reports suggested that a Democratic congresswoman had been killed. I would soon learn that this was not the case but that several others had indeed been killed by the gunman who shot U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).

The thing that stands out the most about my initial encounter with this news was the complete lack of surprise. It was indeed tragic, but it was not at all surprising. And this is indeed a sad commentary on the state of America.

In a thought-provoking piece in The Beacon-News (Aurora, IL), an anonymous author noted that the tragic shooting in Arizona should not have been a surprise to any of us.

In what kind of country, the sensible people asked, do political leaders across the board not condemn a sign at a rally that reads: “We left our guns at home — this time”?

In what kind of country do people show up at presidential speeches with guns on their hips?

I find myself wondering the same thing. I don't have an answer.

What I do know is that this should be a wake up call to all Americans, regardless of what we might eventually learn about the shooter's motives. Even if it somehow turns out not to have been politically motivated, we must take this opportunity to examine what is happening in our country. We must learn to disagree without demonizing each other.

H/T to The Plum Line

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