Clear Channel's Rush Limbaugh

I was graciously given permission to use this photo by the editor of the Box Turtle Bulletin, Jim Burroway. Mr. Burroway wrote that this photo was taken:

.....along I-10 just south of the Ina Road exit. If you go about three miles to the east from I-10 on Ina, you will encounter the fateful Safeway that is, as we speak, still roped off with police tape and crawling with investigators. The billboard is for Rush Limbaugh’s radio program on local Clear Channel KNST, and it appears on a Clear Channel billboard. Limbaugh’s “Straight Shooter” billboard is festooned with six or seven bullet holes. Given the political climate of the past few years — and especially after yesterday’s events — it’s a damning indictment of what so many on the far right find acceptable in political discourse.  (continue reading here)

No one is directly responsible for what Jared Loughner did on Saturday except Jared Loughner. The discussions of the lack of adequate mental health treatment facilities and the lax gun control laws were discussed following the last major shooting and the one before that and the one before that, etc. Whether Jared Loughner ever listened to talk radio or watched Fox News or cared at all about the politics of today is still in question. Maybe he didn't do any of those things; however, this is the kind of imagery he could have seen along I-10. It is not hard to miss and neither is the message.

The scariest thing I read today about this remains these headline:  Glock Pistol Sales Surgery in Aftermath of Arizona Shootings and Tucson suspect's troubles didn't keep him from gun.

And, what about this? Remember Joe "You Lie" Miller (R-SC) who disgraced the House chamber during an address by President Obama.

Rep. Joe Wilson's (R-S.C.) health care-era "you lie" interruption of President Obama is now reportedly being commemorated with a place on a new, limited edition line of assault rifle components.

The Columbia Free Times reports that the words are being engraved on a series of lower receivers manufactured for popular AR-15 assault rifles. Lower receivers are one of the primary pieces of the firearms. (continue reading)

Talk about a gun culture. Again, the message is loud and clear.

Mr. Limbaugh today worked at deflecting any responsibility and placing blame on Democrats on his radio show today by claiming that Jared Loughner was smiling in that horrifying picture because:

"What Mr. Loughner knows is that he has the full support of a major political party in this country. He's sitting there in jail. He knows what's going on, he knows that...the Democrat party is attempting to find anybody but him to blame. He knows if he plays his cards right, he's just a victim. He's the latest in a never-ending parade of victims brought about by the unfairness of America...this guy clearly understands he's getting all the attention and he understands he's got a political party doing everything it can, plus a local sheriff doing everything that they can to make sure he's not convicted of murder - but something lesser." (video here)

Some have claimed that bloggers have wasted a lot of time focusing on these issues and missing the big picture of gun access/violence and lack of adequate mental health care. That may be true. Nobody is trying to silence conservative media, but toning it down and laying off the faux outrage and conspiracy theories would be helpful.