my thoughts on senseless acts of violence

I'm home again in Tucson- just getting our feet under us, we hear of our friend and congresswoman being shot by a confused and twisted youth.

I mostly blame TV- and it's power to influence minds in a hypnotic manner. What we have now (on Fox) amount to hatred pep talks- speeches and propaganda that twist facts and incite hatred and violence.
There is an amount of responsibility on cable news media that has been whittled away, using the first amendment not as a support of freedom, but a weapon of freedom.
 It is a sticks and stones mentality that needs to be re-thought. Names DO hurt people- we as a country (and the world) need to create a more respectful dialogue within our disagreements, otherwise senseless acts of violence will continue, with ugly words and ideas being the root cause.
As my son's Kung Fu teacher says at the end of every class- "Use words to uplift and create, not to destruct and put down"
-peace-M