The American Spectator : Death and Liberalism

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Death and Liberalism

By Peter Ferrara on 1.19.11 @ 6:08AM

The libs’ hare-brained policies are a killer.

(Page 2 of 3)

Liberal Law Enforcement: Deadly Not Serious

The New York Post asked soon after the shooting why a certifiable madman like Jared Loughner was free to walk into a store and buy a gun and ammunition. I can answer that too. Soon after the shooting, Tucson’s very own Inspector Clouseau, Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, reported that the shooter Jared Loughner had several previous interactions with local law enforcement during which death threats were made. But there is apparently no police record on Loughner, or at least on these incidents.

Under the law enforcement leadership of Clarence Dupnik, it appears that officers in Tucson responding to lawbreaking can be threatened with death by the suspect, and no one takes it seriously enough to even record it. Wouldn’t want to mess up the future of a promising young man who may be just another victim of society. But if these local officers had made a more serious record of Loughner’s transgressions, that would have been the foundation for denying him the purchase of a gun and ammo.

Moreover, Arizona has strong laws for treating the mentally ill. Rich Lowry reports in his column last Saturday that courts in the state can order treatment for someone who is “persistently and acutely disabled” and who is “likely to benefit from treatment.” Loughner had clearly established a record to qualify for this. He was suspended and barred from Pima Community College because he appeared to be a threat to others due to his mental instability. The threat was so obvious to one student that in class she sat “by the door with my purse handy” so she could get out fast when the shooting began, as Krauthammer reported in his column last week.

Why was the threat not obvious to Inspector Jacques Dupnik? Why did he never seek a court order to mandate treatment for Loughner, or commitment to a mental institution if he did not comply? There was enough evidence at least to take Loughner into custody for a psychiatric examination. If Dupnik had done his job, Loughner’s massacre would never have happened.

Instead, taking the cue from Krugman, the hyperpartisan Dupnik took to the national airwaves with his own polluting political rhetoric condemning the Tea Party, conservative talk radio, the Republicans, Sarah Palin, and others. Explaining on Fox News what may have prompted the killer’s actions, Dupnik theorized, “There was a lot of vitriolic statements made on radio and TV…and some of the vitriol got a lot of people agitated.” When Fox News anchor Megan Kelly asked for evidence of that, Dupnik indicated that was what he was investigating.

Later in the interview, the crack investigator explained the problem, “We have one political party trying to block the attempts of another party to make this a better country.” But he said in defense of his comments, “I am not sure it has anything to do with politics.” At an immigration forum in September, Dupnik seemed to be whipping up the masses himself, accusing the Tea Party of racism, again without any evidence.

Dupnik even blamed his own Arizona constituents for the dead and wounded, instead of taking responsibility himself. On the day of the shooting, he ran out at a press conference to explain,

“When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government — the anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.”

But as Fox News legal analyst Peter J. Johnston, Jr. said last week, Dupnik’s political comments could compromise the prosecution of Loughner. Johnson explained that Dupnik’s “intemperate” statements were “not within the realm of criminal justice or in the scope of his duty as a sheriff and may be contributing to the insanity defense of the defendant.” Expect the defense to cite Dupnik’s statements to argue that Loughner’s massacre was “provoked or precipitated or assisted by the political climate in the United States and the statements of some officials in the Republican Party and in the media,” as Johnson put it.

Stuart Schwartz explained Dupnik’s hapless record of law enforcement last week at the American Thinker website:

The citizens of Pima County are up to their necks in crime, especially when compared to neighboring Maricopa County. Thirty years of hyperpartisan Democrat-led law enforcement have resulted in the highest crime rates in Arizona. The citizen who lives in Pima County, compared to media-reviled Joe Arpaio’s territory just next door, will have almost three times the chance of being murdered; is more than seven times as likely to be raped; is more than six times as likely to be assaulted; and more than seven times as likely to have experienced a property crime such as burglary, arson or car theft.”

But as Robert Knight reported in the Washington Times last week, the citizens of Pima County do have an immediate solution. The Arizona Constitution specifically provides for the recall of elected officials like Sheriff Dupnik. Article VIII, Part 1 states:

Every public officer in the state of Arizona holding an elective office, either by election or appointment, is subject to recall from such office by the qualified electors of the electoral district from which the candidates are elected to such office.

The Tea Party in Pima County can prove that it is not intimidated by moving expeditiously to circulate petitions calling for the recall of Dupnik for his scandalous law enforcement failures. That would require the signatures of 25% of the voters in the last election, or about 90,000.

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About the Author

Peter Ferrara is Director of Entitlement and Budget Policy at the Heartland Institute, General Counsel of the American Civil Rights Union, Senior Fellow at the National Center for Policy Analysis, and Senior Policy Advisor on Entitlements and Budget Policy at the National Tax Limitation Foundation. He served in the White House Office of Policy Development under President Reagan, and as Associate Deputy Attorney General of the United States under President George H.W. Bush.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (70) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 1.19.11 @ 6:40AM

Another great article!

Never forget that it was government that failed here, vis a vis local law enforcement's horrible response to someone who threatened to kill others numerous times.

It's a perfect example of government failing, but the state run media won't go with that. Instead the failures and media goblins who comprise the state run press need to go with the rumors and not the facts.

The state run media arrives on the scene, fabricates a lie, then moves on to the next tragedy. It's what they do and do well.

Their constant harping on a defective product they produce will ensure that they go out of business one day. Sooner or later they will be replaced with another group of liars and perhaps as the result of a government mandate.

At that point get yourself a set of headphones and try to avoid the never ending lies that will run 24/7. It's what you have now but in the future the government will run it.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 6:22PM

Good thing Cheney wasn't assassinated, for then Bush would have become president.

Carks Badeb| 1.19.11 @ 8:41PM

It Obama's teleprompter loses power Obama may have to take over the Presidency.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:31PM

Stop, you're scaring me.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 10:36PM

Because you are weak and easily frightened.

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:51PM

alan, how the hell does one respond to such idiotic comments without insulting you. fn idiot.

Clint| 1.19.11 @ 7:02AM

The Liberal Democrats & Their Mainstream Media Propaganda Machine attempted once again to Smear, Slander & Marginalize The Tea Party, One of Our Kingmakers & Our Media Allies.

We Are In A Media War.

The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.

Rise Up In Rebellion.

Carpe Diem.

Alan Brooks| 1.19.11 @ 8:08PM

"We Are In A Media War."

You dope; we've been in a media war since before Ben Franklin's day. What was the first newspaper after 1620?
You handwringer, you.

Clint| 1.20.11 @ 1:33AM

Obama Propaganda Boy Brooks confirms "We Are In A Media War".

Brooks wring it with his hand.

Donald Booth| 1.20.11 @ 9:55AM

"You dope," "You dope," how clever. (glibly Facile)

Rich in Rockaway| 1.20.11 @ 12:16PM

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." - Gandhi

Appleby| 1.19.11 @ 7:05AM

Remember a short-lived show named Max Headroom? It was too intelligent for the average prole, but it can still be found in the video stores. TeeVee was broadcast everywhere, and one of the shows broadcast in that world that made us Randites laugh in its day was called *Lumpys Proletariat.*

The one thing that made socialism impossible in the USA was the lack of proles. We have them in Canada; the only things that get their attention are international hockey tournaments and people who mess with Coaches Corner.

Listen to the lunch table at your place of business, especially if you are female, and tell me it doesnt sound like an episode of Lumpys Proletariat. Its already here.

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:29AM

Appleby,
How do you reconcile Catholic and Randian views? The atheism of Objectivists is to me, one of the two failings of the philosophy. As a Conservative (movement genus) I find more consistency in the tenants of Western Civ than in Rands worldview.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 10:36AM

Al, recommended reading by Ayn Rand, hard to find, but you should read it : Objectivist Epistemology. If your pursuit of the truth leads you to the belief that God exist's, no conflict.... Cheers

Wayne | 1.19.11 @ 2:29PM

Well said. Sometimes one must lose God to find him.

Appleby| 1.19.11 @ 1:49PM

I have pretty much outgrown Ayn Rand. I find that as I grow older, I have less and less patience with people who shriek, regardless of what it is they are shrieking about. Besides, she's dead now and for better or worse, she knows where she went wrong without my having to point it out to her. (I always felt that her atheism was the usual You're Not The Boss Of Me business, anyway.)

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:54PM

applebye, your sure like to limit your possibilities.

Stephanie| 1.19.11 @ 7:19AM

They all know who is on DWTS, Bachelor, Bachelorette, Horders and any other silly reality TeeVee show.
Shooting in Arizona? Oh I hadn't heard about that~

Louis Jenkins| 1.19.11 @ 8:05AM

Clyburn seeks to shut up the Right. What ever the method, what ever his cause, he will do his best. But let the Right try to shut up the Left? It ain't gonna happen. The Right understands this, so they will resist every attempt. What the District of Criminals do, that's another story. With the stroke of a pen, or a Presidential fiat, it could become law. Yes, the Right (Tea Party) will continue to meet at Town Hall meetings, and will scream and shout their dis-pleasure, as long as its lawful. What will happen when the expression of one politics is no long acceptable? Will we go quietly away in the night? Will we be absorbed back into the TV watching, curtains closed, doors locked American populace?

Mr. Lindstrom| 1.19.11 @ 8:26AM

Come on Mr. Ferrara, don't you know that extreme rhetoric only happens on the Right?

I know it's true - I saw it on the mainstream media.

C. S. P. Schofield| 1.19.11 @ 8:34AM

The Left is simply scared to death that the Right will behave as badly as they do.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:36PM

Yes. They never miss an opportunity to tell on themselves, do they?

Career Soldier| 1.19.11 @ 8:36AM

I opened the link to this article and read the opener thinking not another left/right who dun what piece. I'm feed up with the finger pointing on rhetoric merry-go-round.

Then you hit the nail: Sheriff Dupnik. WOW, this guy is nearly as big a paranoid nut job as Loughner, and he gets paid to carry a gun!

When you followed up with the stats on his utter failure as Sheriff, and the call for the citizens in his district to recall him, you hit the nail again.

Come on Arizonians, take back your county and your security, dump this paranoid wacko before more of you die while he's paraded around the MSM making you all look like morons for making him Sheriff.

Dan Hirsch| 1.19.11 @ 8:51AM

Let's see now...

Sheriff the Dup-nik when asked said he had no evidence that talk radio made Jared do it. Yet he insisted that it was true. Does any sane law officer go on the public airwaves level charges and then in the next breath say he's evidenceless? I say he needs one of those 72 mental evaluations that they are so fond of down there. The man clearly cannot tell reality from the little voices in his head.

Well?

Bohemond| 1.20.11 @ 12:39PM

Oh, it's worse than tha. Much worse, because when Dipstik got up in front of the cameras and started hurling chrges, he KNHEW he as lying nthrough his teeth. Krugman and the rest of the Smear Machine were just (maliciously) guessin' in a co0mplete information vacuum- but Dubnik KNEW all about Loughner, KNEW he was anhunbalanced whackjob whom his high school effectively voted "Most Likely to Commit Mass Murder."

Dubnik is a LYING SACK OF SHIT.

albert constantine jr.| 1.19.11 @ 9:23AM

Unfortunately, I am not confident that the world of mental health professionals is not corrupted by the insidious disease of politically correct thought itself. As a result, as paranoid schizophrenics are deinstitutionalized, and narcissism is no longer considered a disorder (once you elect a president with it, can it be so bad, they seem to say), don't be surprised if expecting people to live in liberty while they exercise some measure of personal responsibility to be classifie as a mental illness.

albert constantine jr.| 1.19.11 @ 9:25AM

sorry, classified as a mental illness.

VBMax| 1.19.11 @ 10:28AM

The Psychiatric Association meets regularly to vote on what they will include in their diagnostic manual as a mental illness. Besides political correctness, criteria also include things such as potential income to be derived from adding it . Don't be too surprised if conservatism gets voted in if enough money can be made from doing so.

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:34AM

We must be cautious about who we put in charge of Health Care since this debate opens the door to defining political oposition as mental illness. Just imagine whole hospitalsd fulls of Conservatives suffering from dementia defined by the Federal Health Administration. Not unlike ols Uncle Joe Stalin.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 10:38AM

agreed, I had grave misgivings about the Patriot Act as well...camel's nose under the tent.....

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 11:39AM

Sam,
It seems to me the lesson here is that centralized authority is a danger to freedom.

Sam Vaughn| 1.19.11 @ 1:56PM

agreed....especially when checks and balances are compromised or eliminated

old white guy| 1.20.11 @ 3:59PM

al, public health care or as it should be called medical care will bankrupt the u.s. make no mistake about it. the country is one cheque away from being insolvent.

Robert Pinkerton| 1.19.11 @ 11:49AM

Examination and exposure of inbuilt biases in the so-called "Mental 'health'" professions would be a fruitful undertaking -- as would be an enquiry into some of the outright mystical derivations of (mislabeled) "psychoanalysis."

Natural Born Texican| 1.19.11 @ 9:47AM

Dupnik is only following the lead of his liberal heros in the government - if you say it loud and say it often you can make it true.

He sould be forced to resign for his copycat, inflammatory rhetoric!

To protect and serve, huh??????

Mimi| 1.19.11 @ 10:26AM

He should be forced to resign because he failed the PEOPLE of Tucson by not keeping them SAFE !! Yes failed to do his DUTY....his habits to his favorites to make excuses ...for SOME...a left-over OLD school DEMOCRATIC POL. One who puts politics over PEOPLE like the DEM'S do far too often. THIS tragedy should never had happened...an OUTRAGE, and SHAME.

wodiej| 1.19.11 @ 9:59AM

Liberals doing what they do best-blaming anyone but who is responsible.

Petronius| 1.19.11 @ 10:00AM

Pima Co. is the one full of Californicated expats, right?

Al Adab| 1.19.11 @ 10:26AM

No, Pima County is the one with the University of AZ. Lots of old mexican influence and Tucson was the Confederate capital of the territory.

Melvin| 1.19.11 @ 10:04AM

One thing that is for sure. As Peter has noted the Tea Party Organization needs to start a drive to impeach Sheriff Dipschit.
I am unsure at this point in whether or not, "Stupidity" of a public servant is an impeachable offense, but the good sheriff's feet need to be stuck in some kind of fire.

Mimi| 1.19.11 @ 10:43AM

Thanks PETER , for a good wrap-up of recent events in Tucson. The Libs blame-game was downright disgusting...Their revenge oozed out for the " LOSS OF POWER" on Nov. 2nd 2010....so utter irrational and wrong.

Try to keep your heads FOLKS... they are only 20%....WATCH what is DONE, not what they SAY... Are we going to fall for appearances of "moving toward the middle" while they keep up the EXECUTIVE orders and DECREE'S.

We have a dangerous group , we have to stay aware and keep -up our intensity to defeat them TOTALLY!!

RetUSAMike| 1.19.11 @ 10:54AM

Sheriff Dupnik's behavior reminds me of Dorthy's tormentor in the "Wizard Of Oz." Lets throw a little water on him and see what happens.

JeffW| 1.19.11 @ 11:10AM

I am sure Jared Loughner's mother being a member of the county goverment (manager at Agua Caliente Park) had nothing to do with the good Sherrif's handling of Jared with kids gloves. I mean surely he treats all cases like this with multiple visits and no action. Right?

Redstateboy| 1.19.11 @ 2:06PM

Thanks JeffW.. Where are the frigg'n Journalist in this Country for cry'n out loud?!! There is Got be a connection here between Loughner's Mom and the Sheriff - I don't believe they didn't know each other.. and Still I ask the question.. where did this nut bag get his $ from?!!? There's something really rotten here and Liber-uls... being Liber-uls are trying to hide something

Wayne | 1.19.11 @ 2:36PM

I was thinking how the Palin was much like the protagonist in Kafka's "The Trial". He was held without being charged of any real crime. Nothing ever made sense. With the Left, nothing ever makes any sense. I see Chris Matthews complaining about Palins rhetoric, while he himself requests that someone kill her. I hear Obama get praise for never apologizing for the tone he has taken for 2 years. And the praise comes from conservatives. I see the GOP win the House only to see Obama's approval ratings soar. What is happening?

RetUSAMike| 1.19.11 @ 2:44PM

Man, it is so hard to find someone else in my area to reflect humour out of this Lib Media/AZ Sheriff FUBAR media event. I guess I can only say, relax, all will work out. Their/his bags are smoked. I hope. My ballot is coming.

JeffW| 1.19.11 @ 2:44PM

Redstate.

Jeffrey Lord mad this connection back on the 11th on this very website. Sad that no media outlet is saying anything about it.

http://spectator.org/blog/2011.....he-knew-ab

Jack London| 1.19.11 @ 3:26PM

I must say this site is becoming my favorite fictional read. The idea that the move from 19th century lunatic asylums to community based centers and care is some kind of left wing plot, despite being universal round most of the world, is worthy of what I'll call a Golden Garbage award.

Plus the very idea that the writer seems to be favor of increased state/federal funding for mental health services is a joke, although of course they do provide most of what funding we have. (Now just what is the free market solution to mental health? Dr Quack?)

And the idea that it wasn't Clinton who tried to do more for mental health (the parity act) and also the homeless, who are often mentally ill, is a sick joke after Reagan/Bush had them lining up on the sidewalks.

Mel Torme| 1.19.11 @ 6:01PM

What the hell? Who let you out of the Great White North?

Nobody said it was a plot, moron. Leftwingers are not really smart enough to make up a serious plot. It's just a lot of stupid people voting for a lot of stupid things over the years. You know, like, you. Plus, we have a lot of lawyers here.

Clinton's best and only push for mental health (his own) was when he kicked Shrillary out of their West Wing bedroom, and started renting out the north side of the bed to Chinese donors.

Go back up the to Yukon and your sex-partner, White Fang, ya' Commie creep.

Mel Torme| 1.19.11 @ 6:03PM

Oh, shoot, I completely forgot: Nice article, Mr. Ferrara - yours are generally the best written and have the most important points of any on this site.

Larry| 1.19.11 @ 3:30PM

Wow Mr. Ferrara. Outstanding commentary. Perfect. I read it and then I read it again. Thank you so much.

Louis Jenkins| 1.19.11 @ 3:44PM

Civil discourse? Well, it didn't take long to fall by the wayside.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theno.....-much.html

Redstateboy| 1.19.11 @ 4:03PM

Hey.. thanks for the JeffW.. missed that one. Incredible.. another bullet in the chamber to copy and paste to bash Liber-uls with.

gene hauber| 1.19.11 @ 3:48PM

why aren't the FEDS looking at KANJORSKY for an indictment for threatening a public figure running for governor of Florida, huh, huh, hugh???????

kevin| 1.19.11 @ 8:27PM

This too is a nice diversion from The Palin Massacre.

Blow enough smoke and it becomes hard to see.

But you know what? Lets start prosecuting people, both left and right, whenever they use violent rhetoric that suggests crimes like murder. I am all for it. Hard left. Hard right. Anybody talking about killing someone else needs to be prosecuted.

BNehls| 1.19.11 @ 8:43PM

I remember a made for TV movie years ago on HBO called "Citizen X" about a serial killer in the former USSR (Russia/Communism for those who need help). There was a line in the film that sums up what the Democratic Party has become and their rush to blame other peoples political views in the Tuscon shooting.
Max Von Sydow played the psychiatrist in the movie and when approched to help catch the killer, he said, " To be a psychiatrist in this country is being an expert in paranoia." Do you think American psychiatrists are saying the same thing now?

DRed| 1.19.11 @ 8:52PM

In the interest of being fair and balanced, it should be noted that Death of a President is a British movie, so I'm not sure how much it has to do with American leftist hate. I suppose Mr. Ferrara forgot to mention that.

danny| 1.20.11 @ 9:57AM

DRed, leftist hate is universal.

jstwndring| 1.19.11 @ 9:19PM

Collectivism itself is a planned, calculated assault on freedom-loving people everywhere. The people who naively believe in the goals of this newest of tyrannies must have some form of mental illness if they can't see it for the evil that it is. That's why we call them Dims.

Richard Baker| 1.20.11 @ 10:27AM

Sounds like the lefties are have a National Nervous Breakdown. Thorazine, perhaps?

Richard Baker| 1.20.11 @ 10:43AM

Having, not have.

Oregonpapa | 1.23.11 @ 11:59PM

And Bob Scheffer on Face the Nation said three times on his program on the Sunday after the shootings that the culprit was "A right-wing gun nut." On the following Sunday did he recant? No. Did he appoligize? NO. Did he even mention one word about his misdirected hate speech? NO! Hyporisy at its finest.

Oregonpapa | 1.24.11 @ 12:03AM

Oh, and I was around when the ACLU, through the courts, forced the release of mental patients from California mental institutions. And the unintended consequenses of that ... why blame it on Governor Ronald Reagan of course.

Adidas | 8.11.11 @ 5:27AM

is good

العاب بنات | 4.11.12 @ 2:27PM

I know it's true - I saw it on the mainstream media

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