Jason Linkins, as usual, sheds a weird crazy light of sanity on this:
Quote:
You know, there really is almost never bright and shining line of criminal culpability between a crime like this and something someone says in a speech or puts on a website. Obviously, if you are on the radio everyday, saying things like, "The Tutsis are cockroaches and should be attacked with machetes and killed by the thousands, immediately," it's a lot less murky than that time you used a gunsight-looking thing on a poster or talked about the tree of liberty needing the blood of patriots every once in a while.
There are also a lot of very crazy people in the world, who wouldn't really need a set of explicit instructions to carry out something crazy. And that a crazy person might gravitate toward one inspiration over another is almost a random event. It's unlikely that anyone would murder another person over my liveblog of "White Christmas," but it's possible.
Here's the thing: if someone came along and shot up a Starbucks and later said that they did it because of my liveblog of White Christmas, no one would really be pointing fingers at me. People would probably feel bad. And they'd say, "Well, that person is crazy, there's nothing you could have done." And, hell yes, I would fight any attempt to make me take criminal responsibility. But on some level, in some way, I would still have to take moral responsibility for what happened, because that's what you do if you acknowledge that there is a moral authority in the universe, judging you on the basis of how you behave in this world, forcing you to acknowledge that your actions have unintended effects on this universe.
In a world where many people literally believe that God is watching us, everytime we masturbate, and marking it against us, it's really a wonder that people do not behave better! I mean, if you literally believe that people will go to hell for masturbating, why would you take even the remotest chance that you might do something wrong?
So look! Are you running a political campaign and are having trouble conveying toughness or resoluteness or moxie or courage without talking about guns? Please, please, call me or email me. I will help you, regardless of your political belief, and I will do it for free. I have a thesaurus and I read a lot, and I assure you, there are alternatives that convey what you want to say that are just as awesome and inspiring as any you'd encounter.
Let me help you. I can help you! The next time you feel like you have to say, "Don't Retreat, Reload!" just contact me and I will help you figure out -- actually, wait: on that one, why couldn't you just stop at "Don't Retreat?" JUST STOP THERE, OKAY? JESUS. THAT'S A FREEBIE.